Wrecking Ball
by Seventyjane
Summary: Tom was madly in love with Jade and spent the best four years of his life with her. Then his new hire came along and made him question his love. Can Tom Felton choose between old love and new love?
1. From the mess to the masses

****Nobody warned you**  
><strong>Nobody told you to make up your mind<strong>  
><strong>Nobody told you that I could just waltz through and <strong>  
><strong>shake up your style<br>I'm inside like a wrecking ball  
>through your eyes and I changed it all from inside<br>******-Interpol**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: From the mess to the masses<strong>

"Well I guess that's the last of it?" said the woman to herself fixing the placement of a small ceramic elephant on her bookshelf. She stood back to look around at what five days of unpacking looked like. She smiled to herself not believing she had made the move to London, England. She had always wanted to move from her home state of Arizona but she didn't think she was going to make a move thousands of miles away. Wow two moves in one month.

She had only just moved to California when she saw the opening for a job as a personal assistant that paid more than she ever made in her entire life working at the local diner back home. She thought what the hell why not give it a chance there's nothing keeping me here…well, not anymore.

Her boyfriend of six years had ended the relationship by sleeping with her closest friend. He had told her that it was over and he had a new found love for her former friend. She never understood this simply because the two had claimed to have hated each other. Although she knew that the space between them had happened some time ago the betrayal still affected her greatly...she didn't want it to end like that.

It hurt to think about those years of their relationship, deep down she knew she still loved him. Six years she thought to herself. Quickly she wiped the tears that would soon spill to her cheeks. She couldn't take a trip down memory lane right now. She was starting a new and needed to focus on the now and not the past. She was already off to a great start with a new job and change of scenery.

Lost in thought she was startled by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She listened hard for the waves of sound to determine what boxes she needed to move to find it. Finding the direction of the sound she quickly moved the empty boxes and bubble wrap. Grabbing the phone quickly she answered it.

"Hello? Sarah speaking?" she said in a breathless tone sitting on the floor.

"Hello Miss? This is Rachel Wistler from Celebrity Personal Assistance Inc. We just wanted to inform you that your superior would like to request that you meet at The Landau restaurant on Portland Place Regent Street, London on Monday morning at 9am, where you will be introduced to each other and be given the rundown of expectations."

"Yes uh thank you very much for calling! I will definitely be there!" Sarah said after writing down the address and time.

"You're very welcome madam. Good luck to you!" click

With the address in hand she walked to her bedroom and lay on the bed thinking of the wonders of tomorrow. Monday! Tomorrow? I wonder who I'm working for. I wonder if it's a big name. Well I'm sure it wouldn't matter? They could probably be just like me normal I guess you could say. Yeah except their more popular than you are. True. Alright well I'll just have to act nonchalant and not be afraid. I CAN'T BELIEVE IM GOING TO BE A PERSONAL ASSISTANT! Sarah's mind filled with different emotions of happiness and nervousness as she looked at the black diamond chandelier hanging from the ceiling of her bed.

Her bedroom was one of the rooms in the whole flat that she liked most. Its décor represented her personality. The walls were painted a grey color some would see her room as gloomy but she loved the color it wasn't too dark or too light. It was a nice color between sadness and happiness. It was a color she was comfortable with. The walls were bare with only a few pictures hanging here and there.

Against the wall in the far corner she painted music notes as though they were being emitted from her record player below. She loved her record player. Even though she did live in the era of ipods and mp3's she had always loved the way music on the player sounded so clean and crisp. Below this was an open six box black shelf that was stocked with records. She had acquired a lot of vinyl over the years some old and some new, all alphabetized to her liking.

Her bedding was a soft lavender color with small embroidered flowers all round the hem this added a bit of a feminine touch. She had a night stand on each side of the bed, a black dresser against the wall in front of her bed that held a plasma TV.

She loved her room it was the only place that no matter where she was she could make it hers. She could make it feel like home. It was her place of solitude the place in a home where she could be alone and get away from the harsh realities of the world if only for a few minutes or hours with sleep.

Sarah got up from the bed and ran into the kitchen grabbing her laptop off the kitchen counter and walked back into her bedroom and sat on her bed. Flipping open her Mac book she typed in the address to the restaurant to her surprise she didn't live too far from it. Figuring she should get to know her new home she decided on walking to her destination.

"I should probably look for something to wear." Noticing the quiet as she said this she decided to put on some music. She got up from the bed and walked over to her walk-in closet.

Her clothes varied from laid back looks to somewhat classy. Although she favored more of a laid back look jean and a t-shirt would suffice to her but she thought the occasion called for a nicer look, it was her first day. Sarah rummaged through her clothes and decided on a kind of summer dress w/ a nice cardigan and flats. It seemed appropriate being that it was summer and all.

She hung her dress and cardigan on the rod and shut the closet door. She fixed herself some dinner, watched some TV, and thought about what her day would be like tomorrow. The events of unpacking throughout the day made her exhausted she found herself dosing off on the couch and decided to get some much needed sleep. Sarah slipped under the blanket and fell into a dreamless sleep unaware of the events that would unfold in months to come.

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><p><strong>2 am- London Club<strong>

He sat that bar looking at all the wonderfully drunk people. He himself had a buzz going on. Taking a sip from his rum and coke he looked over to the woman on the dance floor grinding on her friends and having the time of her life. He was taking her home tonight even if he could hardly stand up on his own.

He didn't pay much attention to the man that had sat next to him until he spoke.

"Hey mate!" said the man." How's it going?"

Tom looked over to find an acquaintance of his sitting right beside him. He didn't really know the man but had seen him coming with one of Jades friends, he was probably introduce to him but for the life of him couldn't remember the mans name. Playing nice he conversed with him briefly.

"Hey-you'll have to excuse me for forgetting your name." said Tom extending his hand.

"No worries. Its Darren"

Hello Darren Nice to see you here. You enjoying yourself" he shouted over the music while shaking Darren's hand.

"yeah it's a great party Jade is a lucky girl to have you plan such a great birthday party for her."

"well I thought I would show her how much I love her, she's clearly having a good time" he said pointing at the woman on the dance floor swinging her hair from side to side moving her hips in all directions."She's totally pissed out of her mind"

"So Veronica tells me that Jade hired a personal assistant?"

"Yeah she seems to think I can't handle my own affairs. I don't know where she got the idea of us not seeing enough of each other I see her each time that I can. I just hope whoever this new hire is spends more time with Jade than me…" He said as he downed the last of his drink and set the empty glass on the bar. Before he could say anymore on the subject he saw Jades friends walking her over with both arms on the shoulder of each friend.

"I think you need to take her home now Tom" said Veronica

"Hey babe you okay? Are you ready to call it a night?" he said placing his fingers under her chin so he could get a look at her.

Yeah I think I want-"she slurred before she slumped her head down and passed out before getting all her words out. He slung her arm over his shoulder and walked her out the club doors her friends following right behind.

As he helped Jade into the SUV he turned to Veronica and said "Can you let everyone know that we left as well as the owner so everyone can clear out?"

"Yeah sure thing" she said as he retreated to the other side of the car to get in.

"Jade sweetheart Happy Birthday I hope you had a good time!" said Veronica as she kissed Jades cheek.

Coming out of her stupor Jade replied "That's right it's my birthday drinks on me!" she said happily throwing her hands in the air clearing her hair out of her face to show heavy eyes.

"No love lets go home there are more drinks there" said Tom as he tried to get her into a seat belt.

As they drove to Tom's home he was thankful he had hired a driver for the night. He could barely keep his vision in focus as he too had a little too much to drink. With Jade clinging on to him they finally made it to his flat they stumbled through the lobby and out of the elevator. Once getting to the door he fumbled for his keys, through his current state he inserted the key in the hole, opening the door. Walking through the halls and into the bedroom he undressed her down to her knickers and pulled the blankets on top of her. He kissed her on the lips and began to undress himself as best he could.

Thinking that tomorrows hangovers were going to be interesting he gave into unconsciousness as he fell into a drunken slumber. He would be meeting his new assistant tomorrow not thinking once about what kind of person he would be meeting and how much she would affect his life.

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><p>Read and Review please :)<p> 


	2. Meeting at Landau

**Chapter 2: Meeting at Landau**

**Monday Morning~**

The sun shined through the patio doors and into Sarah's bedroom. She woke up before her alarm could sound at 7 am. She got up from her bed in a sleepy haze and walked into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Like a zombie she walked back into her room and into the bathroom, turned on the shower, and undressed. She stood in the shower letting the warm water wake her up. The water ran down her face and over her body rinsing away the fatigue. She washed herself with her favorite body wash, shaved her legs and washed her hair. She quickly got out of the shower wrapped a towel around her body and hair.

Making her way into the kitchen she pulled out a coffee mug from the cabinet and poured herself some coffee adding her cream and sugar. She sat for a minute drinking her wake-up call thinking of what the day will bring. She practiced shaking invisible hands and smiling to no one giving greetings such as Hello, I'm Sarah or Good morning nice to meet you. She felt so nervous. She left the mug on the counter and proceeded to get ready for the day.

She went into the walk in closet to get her outfit, and laid it out on the bed. Looking at the outfit she thought it was too conservative. She walked back into the closet and looked at every single piece of clothing she owned and decided on a pair of black leggings and a dark turquoise top with a low v shaped neck line, the length of the shirt coming down at the mid section of her thigh and black flats. She walked over to her bathroom and took her hair out of the towel. She blow dried her hair going through it with a round brush giving her hair some volume, teasing only the front section into a pompadour and putting it in place with a hair clip. She put on some mascara and eyeliner and was ready to go.

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><p>The morning started with a massive headache for both participants of the night before. It was nearly 7 in the morning and time to get ready to meet the person that would make their lives easier. Together they showered and took a remedy to relieve the pounding in both their heads. After what felt like hours getting ready for today's events they were somewhat refreshed and ready to go.<p>

I don't see why we need a personal assistant we've been doing just fine"

"Tom we need one!" well you need one she said to herself."Our schedules are so hectic we hardly have time to see each other." The tall and thin woman took her boyfriend by the waste and gave him a peck on the lips. "Please" she said fluttering her eyes and talking in a voice that he never could say no too.

"Alright Jade" he said holding her close. "But what are you going to do for me" taking her into a complete embrace he looked into her eyes.

"I'll give you a kiss. Come on we gotta go or we're going to be late" Said Jade turning away and grabbing his hand to drag him out the door.

As they made their way to his car and she couldn't help but think how lucky she was to have such a good guy. Tom Felton. Thee Tom Felton was as good as hers. Although she sometimes had a wandering eye she couldn't help but observe the fact that she had him wrapped around her finger. Anyone who had thought to come between them always thought twice for they would never be beautiful enough to catch his eye. She trusted him and to her fortune he trusted her.

He opened her car door and watched her walk toward him. She is just too damn beautiful for her own good he thought. She always found a way to make him feel a sudden want for her in his heart. He felt he was a lucky guy to have such a raging beauty on his arm. She was his all his. The love he felt for her goes way back to the time he met her on set. Something about her always kept his attention. He loved her and she loved him. He took her hand and helped her into the car and shut the door getting in on the other side.

Tom started the car and asked "where to?"

"The Landau babe" said Jade pulling down the passenger side mirror and applying a shade of lipstick.

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><p>Sarah walked down the streets of London using her GPS on her iphone. She couldn't help but be a little nervous she had only just remembered that she didn't even know what the name was under. She figured that she would just go in tell the person she was to meet someone and go from there. She walked about two and a half blocks, observing the street she was walking down. She loved the lively London streets. Flower shops seemed to be on every corner, some random pedestrians would say good morning others would simply smile at her. When she had finally got to the restaurant she stood outside and took deep breath and opened the door.<p>

Good Morning Miss!" said the host "Do you have a reservation?"

"Uh yeah I think so" the host looked at her quizzically but she proceeded "Well I'm supposed to meet someone here but I don't exactly know who I'm meeting. I'm starting today as a personal assistant.

The hosts look lifted off his face and into a smile.

"Ah yes your party has just arrived. Follow me and I will see you to them."

Them! She thought to herself but didn't further contemplate who "them" could be. Sarah followed the host and took in the scenery of the beautiful restaurant with its high arched windows and pastel walls it was very Victorian like the sun was the only light. The tables were covered in lace table cloths with many forks and spoons on each side of several white plates and glass cups. The place was of rather fine taste she thought to herself.

Her host came to a halt and at that moment she then noticed who she was joining for breakfast. A woman stood up and introduced herself. She was rather beautiful with long brown hair and tanned skin in very fashionable clothes.

Extending a hand she said "Hi I'm Jade Olivia Gordon you must be Sarah Emerson?"

Sarah gained her composure and took the hand "Yes, Hello" she said with a smile

Looking over to the man standing beside the woman, she stood in a trance. She had never met a celebrity before she thought to herself and she sure as hell wasn't going to make a fool of herself in front of one.

The dirty blonde male with piercing blue eyes extended his hand also "Hello" he said "I'm Tom Felton". She shook his hand and said "Hello".

The three took their seats, Tom and Jade sitting on the same side across from her in silence as the three of them looked at each other and smiled.

Jade kick started the conversation "Did you find the place alright? You didn't get lost did you?"

Uh, n-no, well I mean I found the place fine. I don't live too far from here actually" Sarah stammered.

They both looked at her stunned like she had said something totally off color.

"I'm sorry did I say something wrong?"Sarah said with wide eyes.

Oh no!" Tom and Jade said in unison.

"We just didn't know that you were American. Nothing against you we just didn't know" Tom quickly said looking at her sincerely. Sarah smiled at them both.

"It's cool I don't take offense. So…"she said quickly thinking of something to bring up and to her luck a waiter came to their table and quickly went over their menu and took their drink order. The waiter walked away leaving the silence that once again consumed them. Sarah continued to look at the interior of the restaurant.

So what brings you over to our side?" said Tom breaking the silence

It took a moment before she realized he was talking to her. "Oh well I just kind of came across the ad while I was walking around L.A. I went on an interview and within a month I was moving here" she said simply. She didn't feel she needed to tell all that had led her here.

"I hope it was no trouble for you to move out here" said Jade.

"No not at all. I was looking for a change anyways. The people out here are really nice. London is really beautiful" she said

The waiter came with their drinks and asked for their meal orders Sarah sat drinking her iced tea and motioned for them to order first.

Jade looked over the menu again. Skimming through it for a minute "I don't know what I want I couldn't possibly eat all of that" she pointed at an item on the menu. "Well I suppose I could have a little bit of this with some fruit." Coming to a decision at last she placed her order "I'll have one poached egg and some fruit"

Tom motioned for Sarah to place her order as if trying to say ladies first.

I'll have the English Breakfast please with scrambled eggs" she said quickly. It had been eleven hours since she had last eaten (not counting the cup of coffee she had drank earlier) and she was starving she could feel her stomach ready to sound that fact.

Tom had looked surprised by the fact that she had ordered so quickly."I will have the same also" he said with a smile handing the menu to the waiter.

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><p>Tom watched her with stealth while he ate and she talked to Jade. He had never seen anyone eat let alone a girl who ate as fast as she did and who had actually eaten all her food. She must have been starving he thought. After the food had arrived she had become more relaxed. She talked more. He noticed that as she talked to Jade she liked to use her hands to try and show the things that she was saying. Her hands were small and slender he couldn't help but stare at them. He thought back to the moment she had shook his hand they were soft he thought really soft.<p>

"So we'll go over our schedules with you! Right Tom?" Said Jade nudging him to agree.

Oh yeah,… wait… what?" He said wiping his mouth with his napkin and setting it on the table.

I said we'll go over our schedules with her so she can decide the best way she can help both of us."

Oh yeah right." He said slightly embarrassed taking a sip of his tea.

Well I was thinking that Tom and I could split you between us? He could have you Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, I could just take the empty days and you could have the weekends off if you don't mind? Does that work for you?" said Jade

Yeah sure that sounds good to me" she said

Oh yeah we should exchange numbers that way if you we need you to do something we can just call or text each other! You might have to be on call on some weekends when Tom has to go out of town" Jade said. After having done so Jade excused herself from the table and went to the womens lavatory.

Tom took this time to get to know the girl sitting before him.

So I take it you liked your English breakfast? he said with a slight chuckle.

He watched as she looked down at her empty plate and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so, I was starving." She has a nice smile he thought.

How do you like your iphone?

"I like it. It's most convenient when I need it. I like to listen to music A LOT! And plus it makes things easier to manage. It dies fast because I use it so much."

Yeah! Right? You can listen to music, do the internet thing and play games and stuff and you never have to take your headphones out! My phone dies out quickly too. Got to keep a charger with me at all times" Tom said with excitement.

Sarah agreed "yeah even when you make calls you don't have to take it out.

"You know I keep telling Jade she needs to get one but she's more of a Blackberry person"

Ha does she work a lot? Most people who have Blackberries always seem to be workaholics" she said with a laugh

Tom gave it some thought and said "as a matter of fact she does work a lot" and smiled.

Just then Jade came their way with her phone in hand. "Are you talking about me?"She said not looking up from her phone.

Yes darling, we were just talking about your infamous blackberry addiction. Sarah and I have the same phones. Your resistance to the iphone will soon come to an end and you shall come to the dark side" Tom said in triumph. Sarah sat and laughed at his little dialogue.

Oh god Tom you know I can't stand those things! Their too cliché I see the blackberry as being more classy. You two need to get new phones" Jade said still clicking away on her phone. Tom exchanged "are you kidding me" looks with Sarah and they both laughed.

Jade put her phone down and said "well seeing as today is Monday you can help Tom unpack he just moved into a really nice condo and after two weeks living there has still failed to unpack" she said batting her eyelashes at Tom. "I have to get to work A.S.A.P. "she stood up from the table and wrapped the strap to her handbag over her shoulder, as she did so she turned to Tom and said "You don't have to take me I can take a cab."

Tom stood and kissed her cheek. He looked out after her until she was out of sight and then turned to Sarah and said.

"Shall we be on our way?"


	3. The New

After leaving the restaurant Tom escorted Sarah to his car. She was in shock at seeing the nice looking Ferrari in front of her. It was a nice vanilla color with gold Ferrari emblems and red leather seats. Sarah stood looking at the car, mouth slightly open. Wow, she thought. This car is so nice. I bet it has a quality sound system. She noticed Tom holding the car door open for her to get in. She did so full of excitement. He closed the door and laughed to himself. She's easily impressed he thought.

She laughed nervously and said as he entered the car"sorry about that I'm kind of a noob to the whole Ferrari thing even though it is just a car."

"No apology needed. I felt the same way too when I got it. I still feel the same every time I get into it. Feel free to ogle all you want" he said with a laugh.

"I don't ogle" she said narrowing her eyes at him and then smiled "I'm more of a hands on person. Do you mind if I mess with the radio?"

"By all means" he said waving his hand at the radio.

As they drove to his place of residence Tom would once in awhile steal glances at her as she discovered something new to get excited about. She seemed to be easily amused by the small functions of the car he thought. They made small talk about what was on the radio but of nothing else considering that he lived all but 15 minutes away.

They parked the car in an underground garage, walked through the lobby and into an elevator. Once they had reached the top floor, the elevator doors opened and revealed a small hallway with gold trim and vanilla walls. A little ways away from them stood double doors. Tom inserted his key and swung one side of the door open letting Sarah enter first. The place looked absolutely exquisite with its high ceiling and tall archways, white crown moldings were all around the base of the wall, the bulwark were colored in French vanilla, the floors bathed in glossy marble tile. The windows stood tall revealing all of London from where she stood.

"Beautiful" she said to no one in particular. As she looked around she noticed several different shapes of boxes stacked high like a game of Tetris. Some were labeled Kitchen, Master Bedroom, Game Room, Closet etc.

"Wow that's a lot of boxes. Exactly how many rooms are in here?" She said still looking at the towering boxes above her.

"I think about 5 not including the sitting room and bathrooms" he said with a chuckle as he saw her body stiffen slightly. "You can sit your stuff down anywhere if you like. I'm going to go change real quick, please have a look around". Then off he went leaving Sarah in the maze of boxes.

Great "she whispered "Okay I think I can deal with this after all its only…fifty boxes?" she rubbed her forehead to relieve the minor ache forming in the center. She had spent the last week unpacking and now she was stuck with the grueling task again. Well at least it wasn't her own stuff she had to look at so this might actually not be so bad. She took out a notebook and pen from her small black messenger bag and began to write out the best way as to how she would get the unpacking done. It was basically a personal check list for herself rather than a full on plan. She figured this wasn't rocket science so they could easily get this done. They would first separate the boxes according to the labels, take them to their respective rooms and then figure out what rooms each were going to take or what room they would both start first either way it didn't matter to her. She mostly preferred to work alone; she got things done faster that way.

By the time he came back Sarah was picking up different boxes and putting them into their own piles. She went for taller pile thinking she could easily reach it. She had yet to notice he was standing in the room smirking and watching her small arms just barely touching the top box. She was even standing on the tips of her toes but she just couldn't get a full grasp of the box. Taking pity on the poor girl before him he walked over to her, put his arms above her effortlessly reaching the box and set it down on the floor.

"Thanks" she said slightly embarrassed reaching for the next box this time taking full hold of it and setting it on another box.

"Yeah well I saw you were at a disadvantage and thought I would come and help" he said with a grin, hands out placing one higher than the other as a measurement of height.

Sarah rolled her eyes and walked over to a box that held her checklist. Grabbing it she turned and looked at him "So I made this little list up" she said waving it in the air. "If we sort out the boxes into piles according to their labels we can take them into the rooms they need go to and then we could each take a room and unpack or we could both tackle a room together either way works for me" He took the paper from her and quickly glanced at it.

"We can do this together that way we can get everything done much faster I'll just take the taller boxes he said reaching up his full length picking up the tallest box again I'll just put them down so you can get a better reach" he said "or I can get you foot stool to get these too? He said with a laugh he just couldn't get over how short she was.

"Well I'm glad I can make you feel taller than you are I'm sure your ego could use boost" she said walking over to the boxes piled high above her she turned to him and smiled. She picked up a box labeled kitchen and walked into the other room.

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><p>They didn't really talk much the 2 hours. Sorting through the boxes took longer than she thought. They often passed one another going from room to room but that's as far as it went until lunch time came. With all the boxes in their rightful places Tom and Sarah stood in his would be office turned game room.<p>

"I guess we start with any box then? said Sarah standing in the middle of the room looking at her surroundings. The room was a nice midnight blue color with a huge leather couch, bookshelves, with a nice sized plasma television, the floors were polished in dark cherry wood stopping at the large double doors, and in fact it was the only room that had wooden floors like this as well as being the only room with color. The room seemed- to her- rather large it was probably about the size of her whole flat or at least about half its size.

"Since we have been working so hard how about we eat some lunch and then we'll start again" Tom said leaning against one of the double doors.

Sarah looked to him and couldn't help but notice the structure of his body and how lean and cut he was. He wasn't that tall but he was certainly taller than her 5'3 frame. His dirty blonde hair was somewhat messy but it looked good on him. His hair color was in the process of turning to its normal hair color, she could tell for there was only a small hint of platinum at the tips. Her eyes slowly moved down from his hair to his eyes. He had pretty eyes. They were alluring, from a distance they looked as if they were a stormy gray but up close they were the prettiest blue she had ever seen. It was odd the way they could go from dark to light. It was different. He had the most gorgeous smile it sent chills through her body almost making her want to giggle. She had to admit he looked really good. He wasn't a bad dresser either he was wearing a dark blue t-shirt grey washed jeans and black converse a nice relaxed look and…

Is he staring back at me?

* * *

><p>He stood against the door way watching her look around the room. He wanted some time to get to know her so he made the suggestion to grab lunch and because he was hungry as well. Tom watched as her gaze slowly turned to him but she had yet to say anything. Odd he thought. I ask the woman a question and she just stares at me like a deer caught in the headlights. 'I'll just stare right back at her'. As he fixed his eyes on her the thought occurred to him, he had yet to look at her. He had been with her for almost three hours and he hadn't really taken in her appearance.<p>

Her hair was the darkest brown he had ever seen one could probably consider it black. Throughout her hair were shades of burgundy going down to the tips. The length of her hair ended just below the swell of her breast. His eyes moved to her lips. They were full and pouty, the color of her lips were a shade of pink, which complimented her olive colored skin. He thought her face was pretty, gorgeous even. She had a round shaped face with a sharp defined jaw line. Just as he was about to get to her eyes an interruption came with a knock on the door.

They quickly came out of there trance with the knock vibrating throughout the place. Sarah looked down at the floor as he turned to leave. She heard the door open and muffled talk but didn't pay much attention.

How long were we standing there? She thought to herself. I must have looked stupid. I forgot what he had asked me. She stood there biting at her bottom lip. She didn't know he had come back until he spoke.

That was just the landlord" he said "so do you want to get some lunch?"

"Yeah sure what did you have in mind?" she said relieved he didn't bring up there staring contest.

Well whatever you would like? We can have burgers, Chinese food, fish and chips…" he shrugged his shoulders "anything you want I'll order it and go pick it up"

She stood there with a fist on her hip with her finger tapping on her chin in a thinking motion.

"It's not a life or death decision" he said with amusement stuffing his hands into his pockets thumbs hanging out.

"I know that" she said with a smile but with seriousness. She made her decision turned to him and said "fish and chips, with a large ice tea please."

"Alright the place isn't that far so you can feel free to make yourself at home" he said before leaving the room in moments she heard the front door shut.

* * *

><p>She walked into the kitchen to grab her bag and headed back into the game room. She tucked her iPod in the space between her bra and her flesh seeing as how she didn't have any pockets to put it in. With music blaring on shuffle she decided she would put a few things away while he was gone. The first box she opened was full of books some she had never read before and others she had. The genres of books ranged from poetry to autobiographies she had never met any guy who read Frost or Cummings. She put these on the book shelves and began to open another box. This box contained game controllers, cords, a gaming console, as well as various video games. She closed the box and decided to let him have at it. She sat on the floor and went scrounging threw another box. Her iPod shuffled to a song she loved and she began to sing just out of habit for liking the song.<p>

She took the contents in the box and put them out on the floor. She folded up the box and let it lean against the wall the box contained some framed pictures, she picked them up and made her way to one of the empty books shelves to place them on. Each frame she placed on the bookshelf she looked at. Some she assumed were his family or friends others were of him and Jade. She noticed how happy they looked in all their pictures she had always hoped to have a relationship like that, she thought she had a relationship like that…She decided she wasn't going to think about that now, she shook her head, she had a new life and nothing was going to derail it. She set the last frame on the shelf and turned around. She screamed and watched a body fall to the floor.


	4. 20

Tom walked into his home and set their food on the kitchen counter. He walked out into the living room and didn't see her anywhere. She must be in the game room he thought. He got closer to the room and heard a beautiful melody coming from behind the doors. It was her. She was singing. The door was opened slightly so he peeked inside and saw her putting his pictures on the shelf. Her voice was like silk, a soft pitch to his ears. He watched her as she stopped and looked at the last frame in her hand. She stopped singing. For the slightest moment she looked sad. He saw her shake her head and put the picture on the shelf. She turned to him and screamed. Her sudden reaction scared _him_. He trip over his feet and fell to the floor.

She took out her head phones, took a deep breath. "What were you doing?" she said slightly miffed.

"Sorry. I knocked and called your name but you didn't hear either" he lied. He got up from the floor straightening up. He looked over at the bookshelves. "I see you started without me."

"Yeah sorry I was bored I only unpacked your books and the pictures" she said. She covered her face with her hands and turned away from him.

"It's not a big deal if you started without me I don't mind" he walked towards her watching as her shoulders convulsed. As he got closer he removed her hands away from her face. To his surprised she was smiling. Soon she began to laugh whole heartedly.

"You should have seen your face when you fell through the door!" she said in between laughs.

He looked at her slightly embarrassed and walked out of the room. She didn't go after him to apologize instead she stayed back to control her laughter but couldn't the giggles just kept on coming. Her laughter was just contagious and soon he was laughing all the way to the kitchen and back into the room.

Can we eat our lunch now?" he said trying to control his laughter as well

She stopped and smiled at him before saying "Don't you want to eat in the kitchen?"

"We can eat in here it's no problem" placing their food and drinks on the floor he grabbed the biggest box he could and moved it over to a corner of the room. Sarah grabbed two pillows from the couch and placed them on each side of the box and sat down on top of one. Tom grabbed their food and did so.

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><p>They sat on the floor of the large game room with their food perched on the large box. For a few moments they ate in silence often looking at each other when the other wasn't looking and sniggering when they did catch each other's eye. Neither one of them knew why they became shy all of a sudden. This time Sarah decided she would break the silence.<p>

"This is really good" she said taking a bite of her breaded fish. It really was good they had only been eating for 15 minutes and she was almost done. Never in her life had she tasted something so delicious.

"I'm glad to hear you like it" he beamed. He too was almost finished. "There's this place called Anta's Fishery and Fish-n-Chips it's just a five minute walk from here. I've been going there ever since I moved here. I'm not a very good cook" he said taking a drink of his soda.

"So I take it Jade doesn't cook either huh?" she said with simplicity.

"She can make…" he said as he turned up his head and tapped his finger on his chin. Sarah laughed he finished"…she can order take out like no one's business" he looked at her and grinned.

Sarah got up and walked over to another box that held her bag and pulled out a big hair clip. She faced him and asked "So where did you live before?"

He watched her as she pulled her long hair back exposing her long slender neck. The front of her chest exposed. The slant of her neck to her shoulder glowed with an even tone. For some reason he couldn't look away he felt some kind of urge in him, almost a kind of wanting. Noticing he was staring she cleared her throat and walked over and sat down again. He looked away for a moment embarrassed that she saw him gawking at her. He felt his mouth going dry and took a sip of his drink again. After a minute he gathered up courage and looked up again. He saw that she had put her hair up in a way that the tips of her hair flared out at the top of her head with strands of hair falling to the sides of the long tooth clip.

Assuming she wasn't going to get an answer Sarah began to clear the box table piling their empty paper plates on top of each other. He caught notice and grabbed her wrist before she got up again to throw it away. She stared back at him both their eyes making contact. Her eyes were the color of chocolate brown with specks of gold. They seemed contrasting compared to his. They were big but not in a bad way. They were pure and innocent but seductive at the same time. He quickly removed his hand from her wrist and stood up as well.

"I'll take these to the kitchen" he said quickly taking the empty plates and rushing out of the room.

Sarah stood in the room dumbfounded.

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><p>He quickly rushed out of the room leaving her standing alone. He got to the kitchen and threw the paper plates into the trash. What the bloody hell was that all about? Why is it all of a sudden hard to breathe? He pulled at the collar of his shirt. He paced the kitchen floor and waited for his heart rate to return to normal. Why am I reacting this way? Maybe the food is making me act weird. Yes, that's it. It's the food and nothing else. It's not like I have some kind of attraction for her. Even if I did the attraction is about the size of a pin. I talk to and see woman all the time there practically my whole fan base. Why does she have such an effect on me? This is nothing I'm probably just overreacting. I'll just go in there and explain my sudden outburst.<p>

He walked back to the room and saw her unpacking another box. This time only one headphone was in her ear. She looked up from the box and smiled she stood back up and walked over to the bookshelf. In her hands were props he had taken from the Harry Potter set. In her hand was his silver Slytherin ring and tie pin as well as an autographed script signed by the whole cast. She placed them on the second shelf about a foot above her. With delicate hands she placed each treasure in its own domain.

"So why did you decide to move?"She said suddenly. He was so intrigued by her movements that he barely heard her question and forgot about his first task of explanation.

"Jade and I wanted to be closer to each other. I had a house out in the country but I sold it to move here." his tone was steady and even. To be honest he didn't really like the busy streets of London he liked England's quiet country side more but when it came to Jade everything was out the window he truly did love her.

"Now that's some serious devotion you have there." She said examining her placement work on the shelf.

"Well what can I say When you're in a committed relationship you have to make some sacrifices." He said folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall.

Sarah knew all about sacrifices in a relationship. It was a constant thing between her and her ex although he never made any. Tom never took his eyes off her for a second. He watched her hands embrace her body and her smile fall. He had just met her and known her for only a few hours and yet it broke his heart to see her like that. "What's the real reason you moved here?"

She turned to him tried to pass a genuine smile over to him but failed he saw right through her and she knew it. "What I told you earlier was the real reason."

"I don't think you should lie to your boss on the first day." He said lightheartedly. He lifted from the wall and made his way over to the couch and sat down. He debated on whether to press the matter further and decided to do so. "I find that hard to believe. Why would you just decide to move thousands of miles away surely you have family back home missing you?"

She sighed loudly clearly annoyed with the fact that he wouldn't let it go and just take her word for it. She walked over to the couch and sat down at the other end. She took her iPod from her shirt and pulled her headphone from her ear. She wrapped the headphones around it and set it on the arm of the couch. She didn't look at him but merely stared at the blank screen of the T.V. a comfortable silence passing between them. After minutes she finally spoke" It's kind of personal I've only known you about six hours now. Let's start small before I delve into my little story." She looked at him for confirmation.

"Alright after all we will be seeing each other on a daily basis so we should know a few things about each other." he lifted slightly off the couch, turning to face her, one leg folded under him the other hanging off the couch. Sarah did the same as well.

"How about a game of 20 questions instead of it being about an object we could just make it about ourselves and since we're both adults and I think we can both handle the truth we shall answer each other's questions truthfully no matter how personal they are." She smiled at him deviously.

"I think I can agree to those terms, so is that 20 questions each?" He laughed

"Yes. Well you can go first sense you want to know so much" she grabbed a pillow and hugged it to herself.

He stared at her in thought and then decided to ask her the question every woman lied about when answering. "How old are you?"

She laughed at him "oh come on you don't ask a lady how old she is!" In truth she had no problem answering this question age was just a number but the fact that this was his first question shocked her a little.

"Hey! You made the rules" he pointed at her. "So now _truthfully_ you have to answer the question" he reminded her.

"Twenty-two" she answered simply. He gave her a "pfft" wave showing his disbelief.

"I'm not lying! I really am twenty-two" she sat straight up as if her posture would show her age. As she turned her head slightly he noticed she had a tattoo on her neck just behind her ear. He made a mental note to ask her about that later."Can we move on to my question now?" she asked. He nodded to her. "How long have you and Jade been together?"

Being the guy he was he had to think hard about it. Jade always had to remind him when their anniversary was and to his delight she never reprimanded him for forgetting."About 3 or 4 years. I don't keep track really."

"That's a long time." She stated. "Are you going to marry her?" She just about wanted to laugh at his uneasiness to the question but she held back. He had literally turned white.

He could see that she was holding back laughter but he didn't care. He had never thought about that in all the years he had been with Jade. Sure she would hint at things but he figured she was just talking that way because at one point all her friends were marrying some bloke or another. He did love her if they had been together this long then surely he would come around to asking her to marry him.

Sarah settled down. He's really thinking hard she thought. His distress on how to answer the question was etched on his face. "You can have a pass if you want?" she said with all sincerity but also in hopes that he wouldn't ask why she moved here. She didn't want him to think she was running way from her life back home although she was.

"No I'll answer" he said. Damn! She thought but smiled at him. He continued "I personally think that we are good where we are now, just being in a boy/girl relationship for now. Don't get me wrong we are totally committed to each other I would do anything for her, but right now marriage is something I would like to put as you Americans would say "on the back burner" for as long as possible just until I'm ready."

"I get it." She said looking away from him and down at the pillow in her arms. Boy did she get it." Do you think she'll wait that long for you?"

"I hope so if she claims to love me like she says she does. I know that if it was the other way around I would wait for her."

Sarah sat with both feet hovering over the floor again facing the T.V. This time he got a clear view of the tattoo behind her ear. It was a star. From where he was sitting it looked to be not only one star tattoo but three.

She saw him staring at her from the corner of her eye. It started to make her feel uncomfortable until he spoke of the reason he was staring at her so intently.

"What kind of tattoo is that?"

Her hand moved up to touch the three stars. Sometimes she forgot they were even there. Three stars etched into her flesh from a time of teenage adolescence."There just stars. I got them when I was 16. My boyfriend at the time thought it would be a cool birthday gift. It was stupid." she said bleakly.

"Can I see?" He asked. She nodded.

She felt him move closer. His body so close to her she could feel the heat radiating off of him making her feel warm. His smell lingered around her filling her nose with a scent of vanilla and timber. It was a combination of something masculine. Sarah could feel his hot breath on her just barely grazing her ear. She tried to keep calm and slow her rapid heartbeat.

Tom moved closer trying to get a better look at her tattoo. Her body tensed but he hardly noticed, just being so close to her made his stomach tingle. As he moved closer he caught her scent it was fruity. To him it smelled like a combination of apples and cherry blossoms. He stopped a small distance and closed his eyes to regain self control and let out a small breath of air. He opened his eyes and focused on the stars in front of him. Three stars were inked into her flesh one big star and two small ones on each side. He could see each star had very intricate swirls weaving through the open space in the middle of the each one. He brought his hand up and touched each star. He didn't know what brought him to do such a thing. His need to touch her over took him. Blood flowed through his body at the touch of her soft skin. He withdrew his hand from her flesh and moved back to the other end of the couch.

"Those are very beautiful" he cleared his throat before continuing "your tattoos."

"Thanks" she mumbled. This is awkward she thought.

"How long were you and your ex together" he asked. He looked up and caught grief spill over her face. Way to make things more awkward he thought to himself.

She got up from the couch and picked up an empty box to unfold and stacked it against the wall for later use. She wanted anything some kind of distraction to prevent the tears from falling. She really wasn't ready just yet to talk about _him._ If anything she just wanted to forget him and the last six years. Sarah could feel Toms' eyes on her knowing he was waiting for some kind of answer. She reasoned with herself to answer him and that he only wanted to know how long she had been with her ex. She didn't have to tell him her whole life story well that part of her life.

"Six years" she said grabbing another box but not bothering to look at him.

Tom left it at that and didn't ask more about it. He did the math and figured it was probably a touchy subject. From his calculations it seemed to be a very recent break up. Maybe that's why she moved far away from home. He got up from the couch and walked over to a couple of boxes in the far corner. In the boxes were his electronics. He took out cords and remotes, a games console and a blu-ray player and began to set up his entertainment. Another comfortable silence took over the room.

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><p>After everything was all hooked up and the room had finally been cleared away of all boxes they stood in the room admiring their handy work.<p>

"I think I did a pretty good job" said Sarah proudly with her hands on her hips looking about the room.

"You act like you were the only one doing all the unpacking" he joked. In truth the only thing he did do was hook up the entertainment systems.

"Jerk" She laughed and gave him a playful push. "You know I was thinking, I might actually like working for you. You're not as arrogant and dense as I thought you would be. You know being a celebrity and all. You're not all that demanding."

"Thank you?" he said with raised eyebrows not sure if he should take that as a compliment or take offense. "You're not so bad yourself I thought you being from America would have some disadvantages." He said with a smirk.

Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment. She smiled at his wit and said "I'm not stupid. But in all seriousness it's been a good day so far I enjoyed your company.

He had to agree it had been a good day so far despite his feelings getting out of whack he hoped that he didn't set off any alarms with her. He didn't want her to think he was the kind of guy that would cheat on his girlfriend with someone whom he just met. He loved Jade and he did clarify his love for her didn't he? Well he wanted to be sure she understood that before he could say anything she said it for him.

"I think we'll be good friends wouldn't you say?"

He couldn't agree more. He was sure these "feelings" he felt around her would pass. She obviously had no intentions of feeling that way for him either. So things from here on out wouldn't be so challenging since she had declared they were to be friends and he was fine with that.

" Yes I would say so after all we did have a friend to friend conversation earlier which by the way we didn't get to finish our game of questioning but I would say yes, Sarah, we are going to be great friends." He confirmed.

She swayed her way over to him and said "We'll just have to finish that another time won't we Thomas?"

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><p>AN: Its a little long but this is the end of introductions next chapter will be set 2 months from when Sarah started working for Tom. Read and Review. See ya next tuesday!


	5. The glow inside burns light upon her

_**Chapter 5: The glow inside burns light upon her…**_

September was here and Sarah was just getting used to her new way of living. She had gotten used to walking around the London streets seeing as she had no car, but she didn't mind. She enjoyed the cool breeze flowing around her as she walked to her favorite coffee shop. The early morning breezes whipped around her body like a blanket making her feel refreshed and happy. She liked that fall and winter would be here soon.

Sarah walked up to the barista and ordered her usual caramel macchiato. While she waited for her coffee she went through the list of errands she would be running today. Before Tom and Jade had gone to New York for Comic Con Jade had informed Sarah of Tom's upcoming birthday. She had taken her to lunch and told Sarah that since she would be gone for the week that she would have to plan the party. She had agreed to do it with much enthusiasm thinking it would be a small party with about 20 people or so until Jade pulled out a binder with names and phone numbers of guests', caters, and party suppliers. Sarah was shaken at the idea she would have to plan such a huge birthday party and only one week to do it. She was hoping that it would be short notice for the venue so she could have more time to plan but to her luck Jade told her she had booked the venue over a month ago.

As Sarah grabbed her coffee and sat at an outside table and pulled out her note book and the big party planning binder. She went through each page checking off her to do list she had mostly everything ready to go all they needed now was the birthday boy.

It had been two months since she had taken on the role of personal assistant to Tom Felton and sometimes Jade. Sarah rarely saw Jade, she was starting to think she was hired strictly to be his babysitter. It didn't really matter to her though she had gotten comfortable being around Tom at all hours of the day. To her it didn't really feel like a job, it felt like she was hanging with a friend rather than her "boss".

On the days she was with him which was mostly all week they did nothing but hang around his place and do some occasional outings. She often reluctantly went to sit in interviews with him at first she felt she would be in the way but he convinced her that as his personal assistant she had to be there to make sure he didn't make a fool of himself. That was the only time he used the "personal assistant" term, to get her to do things she didn't want to do which rarely ever worked. She wouldn't let him boss her around even though he was essentially her boss. He had lost that privilege many weeks ago, before _it_ happened. _It_ being the reason she's been trying to distance herself from getting too close.

Sarah remembered that one crucial morning she met him at his flat she was suppose to wake him for an early interview via satellite for a talk show in California at 10am on the west coast. She didn't want to do it but somehow he got her to agree to be his morning wake up call.

_**She had woken up late and had just got out of bed and quickly called a cab to take her to Toms. She didn't have much time to get ready she quickly washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on a jacket over her black tank top and didn't bother to change her black shorts before heading out the door. Ten minutes later here she was (thanks to the speedy service of the cab and the key to his flat) calling his name from the door of his bedroom telling him to wake up and that he needed to be ready in an hour so he could drive to the station that would be relaying the interview. **_

_**He rolled over in his bed and placed the pillow on his head to drown out her voice. It didn't work. She walked to the front of the bed and said "Thomas! Wake up now! If I knew you weren't going to wake up I would have slept in as well! "**_

_**Sarah, like Tom was not a morning person she cherished her sleep just as much as he did and the fact that he had begged her to get up in the early morning and that she actually done it made her furious. This was the last time she was going to take the personal assistant thing seriously.**_

_**He looked over to her standing at the foot of the bed with her hands pressed on the side of her hips. She was pissed and he knew it. He looked right at her and said "No! Sod off!" and threw the pillow right at her head. **_

_**She picked up the pillow and threw it right back at him. "Fine! Go back to sleep!" she shouted as she walked out of the room. He's going to get out of that bed if it's that last thing I do she thought to herself. She quickly ran to the kitchen and grabbed a pot from the bottom cabinet. Turning on the faucet and shoving it under the running cold water. Once it was full she slowly but quickly walked back to his bedroom walking through the open door she heard his faint breathing. Pot in hand she whispered "Sorry Thomas" then second thought "no actually I'm not sorry" and dumped the pot of cold water right on to the back of his sleeping form.**_

_**He quickly shot up out of his bed confused and soaking wet, only seeing Sarah retreating toward the door. **_

"_**oh your going be so sorry for that!" He said with malice as she turned back for only a mere second to look at him. In a flash he was running straight toward her. He was hot on her heels as she ran down the hall and into the living room. Circling around the couch he had a look of a lion waiting to kill its prey, she was scared. She had to get away or else she would have to suffer the consequences. Knowing she would have to be extremely quick she faked her right (his left) and ran in the opposite direction. She ran into the kitchen where they resumed their positions around the kitchen counter. **_

"_**What in the bloody hell did you do that for?" he asked in an eerily calm tone. **_

"_**You asked me to give you a wake-up call so I did" she shrugged her shoulders and smiled. He smiled too.**_

_**As they circled the island counter, she could not keep her eyes off his body to save her life. Standing before her was a half naked Tom. Her eyes wondered over his body looking at the light broadness of his shoulders to the very nearly defined lines of his abdomen, down to the v lines that formed above his hips. Without much deliberation he really was something to look at. She felt her breathing hitch and quickly needed to look away to find something that would not demonstrate her current weakness. She looked to his face and as they came to a stop her back leaning against the counter sink and him standing on the other side of the island, the only thing keeping him from her. **_

_**Her eyes studied his face as they stood in silence little did he know she was having a mental fight with herself. Was he really this gorgeous in the morning? What the hell am I thinking? Stop Sarah! Well it doesn't hurt to look right? No it doesn't, you can look but don't touch. As if I would! **_

_**She shook her head and laughed looking to the ground. BIG MISTAKE! In a flick of an eye Tom slid across the granite counter top and over to her before she could register what was going on. She felt his arms close around her with his front to her back locking her arms at her sides. **_

"_**Good morning lovely" he said in her ear.**_

_**Sarah swallowed hard before she replied "Good Morning." **_

_**Good morning indeed. Standing with her back to him she could feel the heat of his body penetrating her skin, the warmth of his breath grazing the side of her neck sending an unavoidable shudder down her spine and to her toes. She hoped he didn't feel the vibration of her body.**_

_**He walked them to the kitchen sink and turned the faucet on. At that moment she tried to break from his grasp but he quickly brought his hand back around her arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes. His face so close she could see the slight stubble on his chin.**_

"_**What do you think you're doing?" she said**_

_**Oh I thought I would give you a nice sopping wake-up call you so thoughtfully gave me." he said slightly leaning her over the sink.**_

"_**Would it help if I said I was s-s-sorry? Cause I am. I-I really am." She rarely said sorry and meant it, but when she did she struggled to get the word out.**_

"_**No, I don't think that will do not only did you wake me from a beautiful dream I was having, but you also soaked my bed and Me." he said with a smile.**_

"_**Well at least you don't have to take a shower now" she laughed**_

_**And you won't either" he said quickly grabbing the sink spray head pulling the trigger drenching her in warm water. **_

_**Okay! Okay! Okay!" she said flippantly while placing her hand in front of her face water plastering all around the kitchen. **_

_**He stopped. She turned her body around to look at him, biting back the urge to slap him in the face. Looking up into his smiling face, his hair dripping wet and falling in his eyes, her urge to slap him turned into something else. She couldn't quite describe it but the feeling was something she wasn't used to feeling. Whatever it was had to stay deep within her and stay as small as possible. An exchange was being made between them but she couldn't pin point it. She looked into his blue eyes as they stared into hers. She could see the reflection of desire in his eyes. Breaking the trance shifted her eyes in a different direction she hadn't really noticed that his hands were placed around her waist until he removed them. She backed away feeling cold air wash over her.**_

"_**I'll clean this up, you should go get ready you have to leave in an hour." She said heading to the small closet that held cleaning supplies, her shoes squeaking on the floor.**_

"_**You don't have to I can- " **_

"_**No it's okay. Really I can do it." She said giving him a look of finality. With that he walked out of the kitchen knowing not to press further. **_

_**Sarah quicklycleaned up the mess in the kitchen and left. Thankful for having the day off she contemplated those feelings that she felt and if they meant anything. Praying to a higher entity that those feelings she concealed within were a mere blunder. **_

_**Whatever feelings she felt she wouldnt describe them. They would forever be known as It if she had given It a name things were sure to be difficult for them both.**_

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><p><em><strong>AN: Read and Review please. Sorry for the extremely late update for those of you who are reading. I swear to have the next one up on Tom Tuesday of next week! **_

_**I've also added a little more to Chapter 1 if you care to reread it there is an added section of Tom's night before meeting Sarah.**_


	6. Back in Your Head

**Title of the chapter comes from the song "Back in Your Head "by Tegan and Sara**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6: Back in Your Head<strong>

Tom and Jade walked hand in hand along the fashion district of New York City. Jade had taken time off work to come support Tom at his conference. It had been weeks since she had anytime alone with him and she was starting to feel neglected. She was glad when she found out from Sarah that Tom was having a conference in New York of all places. She had been dying to look at the latest fashion trends as well as adding them to her wardrobe.

In the past week she had been getting the feeling that he seemed somewhat distant from her. He talked to her and still showed the same affection towards her but his mind seemed to be somewhere else. She felt she constantly had to wave her hand in his face to get his attention. She thought the fame of being Draco Malfoy was getting to him, but that wasn't it he was lively during the Q and A's he talked avidly with his fans at the meet and greet early that morning. So what was it?

They had been walking in and out of stores all day. Tom had purchased her several dresses and shoes to go along with each outfit. She had even purchased the dress she would wear the night of the party; a silver sequined dress with small round jewels around the waist line, with a v neckline and wide shoulder straps, the length to the dress was mid thigh and tight fitting just the way she liked it. He really did spoil her which is what she love most about him he treated her like a princess.

She hoped that his upcoming birthday she had planned would bring him out of his rut. Since today was really his birthday she thought they could celebrate his birth tonight in an adult manner. She decided that tonight she would be his birthday present. She hoped her little plan would work she was never denied sex before and she hoped he wasn't too distracted to deny it now.

As they rounded the corner, she spotted a nice little lingerie store on the other side of the street. They walked down further and she motioned to him to go into a Chanel store, he told her he wanted to go look at watches, she nodded and walked over to the counter of handbags. When the store clerk asked if she wanted to view a bag Jade quickly waved the woman away. She watched Tom go to the other side of the store and converse with the salesman. She knew she had just enough time to head over to the store across the street to look for something sexy to surprise him with tonight after dinner. When he got to looking at watches she knew he would want to try on every single one.

Jade bolted for the door as soon as she saw the salesman strap a watch to his wrist. She stood on the sidewalk and waited for traffic to clear before she dashed across the street. She entered the small shop waving at the greeting owner and quickly perused the store racks looking for something that he would like.

After looking through the racks she had finally found what she was looking for. She held the piece of fabric close to her body as she looked in the full length mirror this was sure to make him want her. In her hand she held a beautiful off white lace teddy with a ruffled hem and a very long plunging neck line with an all around floral pattern. Realizing she might be out of time soon she quickly took the piece of cloth up to the register.

"I'll be taking this" she said handing the store clerk the lingerie. She pulled out her credit card and held it in her hand.

"Oh this is very beautiful who is the lucky guy" said the woman at the register.

"My boyfriend, he seems down so I thought it would be nice to lift his spirits." Jade said cheerfully handing her card to the nice woman.

"Goodness girl, I'm sure you'll both enjoy this."

After making her purchase, she made her way back to the Chanel store and low and be hold Tom was still standing at the counter talking animatedly to the salesman. She walked over to the counter watching as Tom found a watch to his liking. He looked to her and smiled.

"Did you find anything you wanted?" he asked

"No not really. I was thinking maybe we could go out to dinner tonight?" she said running her hand through her hair.

"Sure love. Where would you like to go?" He said motioning to the salesman to ring up the watch he just tried on.

"I'm thinking maybe an Italian restaurant." She said twirling her hair in thought.

"Alright I'll see if the hotel can recommend a place for us to try tonight. I have another meet and greet in an two hours so when I'm done I'll come back get ready and we can go." He kissed her forehead and then her pouty lips and they headed out the store. His watch on his wrist and she clinging to his arm they went back to the hotel room to rest before their date.

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><p>He took her to a nice Italian restaurant with brick walls and dims lights, where eating by candle light provided the perfect romantic setting. They sat at a booth in a far back corner to have some privacy. The waiter came over and Tom ordered their finest bottle of red wine.<p>

They sat in silence until their food arrived. It seemed to Jade the night was not going how she had expected. She wanted him to engage in the conversation first to make her feel like he wanted to be there with her. What was his mind so occupied with? She was growing aggravated with his behavior. He seemed to notice how bothered she was cause the moment she was about to get up and leave until he spoke.

"How's work?"

"It's going alright we're having some problems with our budgets but we're getting along fine. The stunt team is trying to break in a new girl and teach her the basics. She's getting it though. How was your conference earlier any girls throw themselves at you?"

He smiled "No it was just the usual questions 'Can you say Potter? Or my favorite 'Do you prefer Drarry or Dramione? It was good meeting everyone. I think I'm getting carpal tunnel from signing so many autographs and shaking hands" he chuckled

"How's it going with Sarah? She seems like a fireball?"His smile faltered a little but she hardly noticed taking a drink of her wine.

"She's great. She's been taking care of all my engagements and running small errands. I try to keep her busy." He said nonchalantly.

"That's good." Although she wasn't so sure the girl was doing her job. Sarah was supposed to be there to make more time for the two of them yet they rarely saw each other. She'd have to give it to her though, Sarah _was_ up to date with all his little appointments if it wasn't for her Jade wouldn't have known a thing about this trip. So she would have to give her credit for that and for planning his birthday party on such short notice. She'll be the judge of how reliable Sarah is once they get back to London.

Silence had taken over the rest of their dinner. Jade contemplated if she was going to ask him what was going on with him but she didn't want to argue they were having a good night despite the fact little was being said. Maybe he was just tired.

They finished with dinner and the wine as well leaving the restaurant with a slight buzz. By this time he had loosened up which she was thankful for. She felt she would have to go back on her plan for the night if he was going to be distant. To her surprise he was the one open to being touchy. As they sat in the cab that would take them to their hotel his hands rubbed at her thigh closest to him. They were staying in a suite at the Hotel Plaza just across from central park so thankfully the ride there wouldn't take that long.

The moment the taxi came to a stop at the hotel Tom paid the driver and they hurriedly walked through the lobby and into the elevator that would take them to their floor. Finding themselves alone in the elevator he kissed her hungrily she did the same in return. Finally breaking apart as they reached the floor he grabbed her hand and ran her through the hall and to their door. Once inside their suite she took the initiative to pursue him first she kissed him passionately while he took off his jacket and loosened his tie. He entwined his hands in her hair taking control his tongue seeking hers with eagerness, proving his love to her eloquently, touching and caressing her. The fact that he was in control was different he was grabbing at her hips and thighs as they made their way to the bedroom.

Before they could go any further she pulled away from his kiss. A look of seduction in both their eyes they breathed in heavily.

"Give me a moment" she said starting for the bathroom before he could pull her back. She shut the door and readied herself for the course of the evening. She washed her face and waved her hair back and forth to give it some volume. She carefully put on the lingerie she had brought earlier. She had meant to try it on earlier but she had heard Tom enter their room so she stuffed it under some towels in the bathroom closet. Smoothing down every piece of cloth on all the curves of her body she was now ready to reveal herself. She opened the door and flipped her hair over to the side, placing her elbow on the frame of the door holding her head up, with her other hand on her hip and leg planted out on the side.

He was sitting on the bed already in his boxers. He looked up to her as though dazzled by her beauty. She walked to him slowly like a lioness she was ready to pounce but he pounced first he grabbed her with much force eagerly kissing every bit of flesh. Whatever had come over him was much to her liking. The pent up sexual frustration was coming to light and she was powerless to stop it.

As he laid her on the bad he kissed the mounds of her breasts making her moan out in pleasure. He took his place on top of her; she could feel the pressure of his length on her inner thigh. His hand slowly felt the curves of her body as they traveled down between her legs. She gasped at the cold touch of his fingers, as he felt her moisture through the lace of her teddy. He moved the fabric to the side feeling through her folds and hitting her spot with intensity. She hit the peak of pleasure and was ready to take in all of him.

You look so beautiful" he said as he kissed her quivering lips.

He kissed along her jaw line down to her neck and to each point of her breast. She stripped herself of the barrier between herself and his lips. He seemed pleased at this, it pleased her as well. She arched her back as he slowly inserted himself into her, letting out a small moan deep in his throat. Together they fell into the bliss of the night. All negative thoughts were erased from Jades mind with every thrust and kiss.

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><p>Tom lay awake for hours long after Jade had fallen asleep. He went over the nights events in his head wondering how he could have let things go this far. Yes, she was his girlfriend and he had made love to her many times before but that wasn't what kept him up. After their night of love making he had fallen on to his pillow breathing heavily it was at that moment that he realized he wasn't thinking of Jade the whole time they were in the throes of passion. It wasn't her he was making love to, physically yes, but mentally his imagination leaned toward with the one that plagued his dreams every night he had been there.<p>

Sarah was his friend and nothing more. He hadn't felt like he had grown to like her more than a friend if anything he thought it was just a small boy crush. But each day he got to know her it had become hard to establish how he felt about her. It was probably obvious to someone looking in that he liked her. He couldn't allow himself to feel that way with her. On the other hand how could anyone expect him not to grow closer to her? This wasn't something physical he felt for her no matter how hard he tried to ignore it.

Sure he thought she was rather beautiful, but it was her personality that enticed him. He had never met anyone like her she wasn't afraid to stand up to him not that anyone else was, but she could joke with him, make him laugh, they could converse on an intimate level that he tried so hard to do with Jade. His fame wasn't an issue for her; she treated him like he was anybody else. For the past month he had constantly found himself thinking about her wondering what she was doing at each moment she wasn't with him.

The last time he had any interaction was days before his trip to the states, the morning she dumped cold water on him.

_**He feigned sleep when he heard her footsteps coming through the door and into his bedroom. Before she had left the room she was yelling at him to wake up, he thought it was funny that she was probably the only one who could get away with speaking to him the way she did. Hearing her footsteps he let his body go limp and faked a snore. What happened next he wasn't expecting the moment he heard her say she wasn't sorry he knew he should have listened to her when she told him to wake up the first time. **_

_**The cold water rolled off his back and onto the bed. He stood up quickly on the side of the bed watching as she looked back at him with a smirk on her face. "Oh, you're going to be sorry for that!" he chased her down the hall and into the living room circling the couch and then off to the kitchen.**_

_**He wasn't mad at the fact that she did it but he could tell she was trying to figure out the best way to defuse the situation as well as an escape route. When he asked her why she did what she did her answer didn't surprise him she always gave him smart ass answers. He observed her as they stood on either side of the island. He had always wondered what she looked like in the mornings. Her long hair was pulled up in a messy bun strands of hair were hanging loosely at the side of her face too short to stay in the elastic tie. Her face was flushed, a tint of rose on her cheeks. She wore a maroon cotton jacket over a black top. He had noticed she was wearing black shorts that stopped mid length of her thigh making her honey toned legs look miles long. What was she trying to do to him?**_

_**Just when he was about to give up she looked down to the floor and he took the initiative to get his revenge on her. Hopping over the island he finally had her in his grasp. Having Sarah so close to him felt like heaven. The scent she so frequently smelled of an infusion of apples and fresh blossoms, took over his senses, he loved her scent. Why did she have to smell so good? **_

_**He was glad she was facing forward not able to see how much he was enjoying this small interaction. He walked them to the sink and turned on the faucet. She looked to him with wide eyes in fear of the calamity that was to unfold. He tried his hardest to keep a straight face. She acted like she was going to the death chair. **_

"_**What do you think you're doing?"**_

"_**Oh I thought I would give you a nice sopping wake-up call you so thoughtfully gave me." he said. As he leaned her over the sink her backside rubbed into him.**_

"_**Would it help if I said I was s-s-sorry? Cause I am. I-I really am!"**_

"_**No, I don't think that will do, not only did soak me and my bed sheets but you also woke me from a beautiful dream I was having." he wasn't lying. Right before she had arrived he was having a really good dream but she didn't need to know it was about her.**_

"_**Well at least you don't have to take a shower now." Ah she was so funny.**_

"_**And you won't either!" He said grabbing the sink sprayer after a few seconds they were both drenched. When she turned to face him he couldn't help but smile at her. She looked so adorable. The hair that hung loosely at the sides of her face was now sticking to her skin. She was so close to him he swore he could feel her heart beating through her chest. He looked to her lips and wondered what sweet taste lingered there. He mentally slapped himself at the thought. As if she read his mind she looked away from him. Suddenly becoming aware of the placement of his hands he reluctantly let her go, his muscles tightening at the cold.**_

_**He wanted to help her clean up the mess but she wouldn't relent. He walked back to his bedroom stripping his sheets and putting them in the washer before he showered. He hoped she would still be there when he got out but he knew she would have left.**_

_**The next few days he thought about her constantly his emotions were getting the better of him. He felt guilty for thinking of her in ways he didn't think he could think of someone other than Jade. He needed some space from her.**_

He was grateful that he would have this time away from Sarah and that she had told Jade about his trip cause then he could rekindle that love for Jade and realize why he fell in love with her although it had never faltered. Hoping sleeping with Jade would free his mind from what it was currently occupied with just made things more confusing. How could he explain to Jade why he was so distant? He needed to figure out a way to rid himself whatever it was he felt for Sarah. Or maybe he didn't have to. If Sarah didn't have feelings for him then there was nothing to fret over. His feelings would be one sided and he would just have to learn to deal with it on his own. He was determined to get over this. He loved Jade.

He thought these stirrings would go away if he had refrained from speaking to Sarah but it seemed she always found away to creep into his mind. She had texted him earlier that day when he noticed Jade had left the store to go into another. She had texted him to wish him a happy birthday. He felt awful for not texting her back but it was for the best right now. He sought to give Jade his full attention.

He needed to make it up to Jade for the mental betrayal, somehow, even if she didn't know why he was being so attentive to her.

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><p><strong>Will post chapter 7 on Tuesday. Thanks for Reading :)<strong>


	7. Cause I Am Afraid of the Light

**_*Title taken from the song "You Know What I Mean" by Cults. Also suggested music for Sarah's section. Enjoy!_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Cause I am Afraid of the Light<strong>

Tom woke bright and early the next morning; he showered, ordered room service for Jade, and went over how he was going to execute his plan. They had one full day left to enjoy New York and he wanted to make it special for her. He would not let his thoughts be plagued by Sarah, it was all about Jade from here on out. Jade was his true love he would make it up to her. He didn't know how he could be so stupid to think of anyone else but Jade. She was all that mattered to him.

Room service came with a knock on the door. When he called in for breakfast he asked for a small breakfast tray and a single red rose so he could surprise Jade with breakfast in bed. He tipped the server and began to place the food on top of the tray. He knew that she would only eat a quarter of the food but he thought it was a good start. It didn't matter if she a little or a lot he would let her do what she wanted.

He set the tray on the ottoman at the foot of the bed. Grabbing the single red rose he laid next to Jade lightly brushing the soft petals up her arm, over her shoulder and down her back. She slowly stirred from her sleep as he repeated the rhythm.

"Good Morning love" he said leaning over to kiss her cheek.

She smiled up to him "Good Morning"

Today she looked more radiant than ever. She turned from her stomach to sit up bringing the blanket over her chest to cover her naked figure. He took this time to get up and bring the breakfast tray to her.

"Oh "She said in surprise "what did I do to deserve this?"

"I just thought I would do something nice for you." He said setting the breakfast tray over her legs as he sat facing her on the bed."I know I haven't been the best boyfriend lately but I want to make it up to you. So I have the whole day planned for us to go site seeing." _You don't have shit planned but well played._

"You're so sweet. I can't wait to get started" she said taking a bite of her Eggs Benedict.

The look of pure joy on her face made him feel like the worse person in the world. Why had he been torturing himself thinking about Sarah when Jade was here with all her sweetness and beauty.

"Finish eating breakfast and whenever you are ready we can start the day" He stood leaning over to kiss the top of her head.

"Aren't you going to stay and eat breakfast?

"No thanks I'm going down to the lobby I'll be back in a few" he said walking out the bedroom door. It was time to set about planning the day but where to start?

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><p>Sarah let herself fall on her bed after a grueling day of playing party planner. She couldn't believe how much went into planning a birthday party.<p>

She had met with hotel management to go over some last minute arrangements for the party tomorrow night which was coming along fine. She also had to meet with the caterers to be sure that the menu was what Jade had requested, along with decorating the ballroom. For a good 3 hours she was stuck with the task of blowing up balloons before she noticed the helium tank in the corner of the room. By then things were moving a little faster, the hotel manager had his staff set up all the tables and place the satin tablecloths on all the tables, while Sarah went around placing the center pieces. She really didn't think Tom would care if there was a centerpiece on the table or not. With the demands on the list she was starting to wonder if the party was for him or Jade. Last night she stayed up til 3 in the morning going over the guest list. She went over her check list of all the people who had called in to RSVP and thankfully all 100 guests had done so.

By the end of the day she could barely stand to look at another balloon or center piece. She was glad to be in the vicinity of her room and that all the planning was over. Now she was free to spend the rest of the night however she wanted.

Yep, however she wanted. She closed her eyes took a deep breath in and let it out relieving herself of all stress. Well not all stress, there was still one little matter that she had been trying to avoid thinking about. It wasn't really stress it was just more of a contemplation that she tried to keep from scourging her mentality but it always made its way into her mind. Her main affliction would be coming home tomorrow and she was dreading meeting him.

She had thought long and hard about her feelings toward Tom the whole day after their incident. She had come to the conclusion that there was nothing to worry about. She could contain whatever it was that she was feeling. If anything, how she felt about him was microscopic, close to nothing but that was then.

Now, she didn't know where she stood with him. She couldn't help but think that maybe he felt the same way. That he was just as conflicted as she was about her feelings. If he wasn't then that was good she could be making something out of nothing. She would be fine with that as long as things didn't proceed in other directions then she would be okay. She could work for him and there would be no conflict getting in the way of their friendship. It was after all only a liking towards him.

How could you not like him? He was sweet, sincere, intelligent and not to mention gorgeous as hell. He had more intellect than anyone she had ever met. They could have the most intellectual conversation and have it turn into a total laugh riot. She could only hope that there was someone else like that. If he was taken there had to be a carbon copy out there. She laughed to herself at that thought. She could never fully give herself to anyone; there were way too many barriers to break down.

Sarah lay on the comfort of her bed in bewilderment. She would think nothing else of her current situation with Tom. It was strictly business and nothing more. Not that it ever could be. It was best to pretend nothing happened and she was fine with that.

She sat up on the bed hugging a pillow to her chest deciding on what she wanted to do with the rest of the night. It was only 7 PM she felt a nice hot bubble bath would relieve the knots in her body. She made her way into the bathroom and over to the tub. Sitting on the edge of the bathtub she turned on the handles to release the water, letting her hand test the warmth of the running water. Once it was to her liking she added the pink liquid that would form the bubbles. As the metamorphosis took place she retreated to her room to put a record on. She opened the Crosley turntable to place the record on the spindle, she watched as the arm retracted from its resting spot and lowered itself onto the record, music mildly blaring from its speakers.

Once the tub was filled enough to her liking she stripped herself of her clothing and placed herself one foot at a time into the garden tub. She slowly lowered herself into the tub, bubbles blanketing her body. She laid her head against the base of her tub relaxing in the warmth of the water, every thought that had consumed her the past week fading way.

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><p>Tom hadn't expected the day would turn out so well. After he had left their suite he went down to the lobby and asked guest services to assist him in searching for sights to see. When Jade was ready they had started by taking a cab to ride a ferryboat to Ellis Island and then to the statue of liberty. On the way back they stopped over at the Museum of Natural History, before the day could end, the hotel helped him plan a nice picnic dinner in Shakespeare Garden in Central park.<p>

He held her hand as they took a carriage ride through central park, on its way to Shakespeare garden. She seemed to glow as he took several glances at her the setting sun shining bright on her auburn hair. As the carriage came to a stop he helped her out and they entered through the gates of the garden. The place was vacant. As they descended the stairs they came upon a large fountain. Sitting on the fountain was a large picnic basket and blanket.

He saw Jade's jaw nearly drop to the floor. She looked at him with wide eyes not believing he could do such a thing. Tom walked over to the fountain grabbing the picnic basket and blanket. They walked through the Italian garden surrounded by various wild flowers. He laid out the blanket between two large trees not too far from the fountain at the center of the garden. The place was rather beautiful to look at.

They sat down and he set up the food and utensils; also lighting a few candles that were placed in the basket. Once they finished their dinner they lay back on the blanket and looked up at the night sky through the almost leafless branches. Jades head lay on top of him just over his heart, with he wrapped his arm around her bringing her in close.

"Why do you feel like you've been a bad boyfriend?"

He wasn't expecting her to ask such a question. This caught him off guard. She continued speaking but not looking at him. He hoped she didn't notice the hasty change in his heart beat.

"Up in the room, you said you wanted to make up for not being the best boyfriend. What made you feel that way?"

"I-I just thought that since we haven't spent much time together that you were feeling like…like I was ignoring you."

"Were you?" this time looking up at him.

_Come on Thomas come up with something. Quick!_

"No." he continued "I've just been busy with all this PR stuff… you know with the last movie of the franchise being out I have to be at the top of my game."

Some of that statement was true, even though Deathly Hollows II had been out for two and a half months now the whole cast had to publicize the film in some way or another. But he was pretty much acceptable of having to travel the world, he loved it. For now he would act as if it was the reason for him being so far-flung.

"I thought that's what it was. I thought it was either your work or…." she laughed "I don't know it's silly to think such things.

Tom feigned a laugh. He wanted to end the conversation. "Silly you are. I love you Jade nothing will change that." He moved to his side to face her bringing his hand to her face to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I love you too Tom"

With said he pulled her in for a sweet kiss.

Tomorrow they would return home and he was ready for the challenges that Sarah would unknowingly bring to the table. He would get over this little crush if it killed him.

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><p><strong>AN: Read and Review! next chapter will go up on Tuesday!**


	8. You Just Have to See Her

**Chapter title taken from: _Sometime around midnight by Airborne Toxic Event_**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: You Just Have to See Her<strong>

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><p>Sarah lay curled up in her blankets not wanting to start the day. It was now noon and soon Tom and Jade would be touching down in London. Sarah was hopeful that she wouldn't have to attend the party even though she did plan the whole thing she wouldn't know anyone in attendance. Tonight would be just another night to herself and she was fine with that.<p>

Rolling over in the warmth of her bed Sarah fought the urge to go to the bathroom for as long as she could but decided to go ahead and start the day. After taking care of business and a long hot shower, Sarah had made up her mind about not going to the party tonight regardless if she planned it she felt that there was no use going she would probably be standing alone all night anyway. Everything was already in check for the party she was sure there would be no problems at all

Sarah slipped on a pair of black shorts and a purple tank top and proceeded to lounge around on her couch. The comfort of her couch was just hard to resist and within in minutes she was back to sleep. That is until she heard someone knocking at her door. She groggily got up from the couch and made her way to the door.

Standing there in Chanel heels, and cream colored dress, and the biggest handbag ever was Jade. She looked rather refreshed and glowing. She must have had a sex filled week Sarah thought.

"Hi Sarah!" Jade said excitedly giving Sarah a hug "we're back!"

Sarah smiled "Yeah I can see that. Come in."

Jade walked in and turned toward Sarah quickly.

"I was just over at the hotel to check out the ballroom and it looks so beautiful! I can't believe you did it all in such little time!"

"I'm glad you like it." Sarah blushed

"I just thought I would come by and give you praise. I was talking to the hotel manager and he said everything is good to go for tonight. Is everyone on the guest list coming?"

"Yeah they all called in to RSVP so you guys will be all ready for the night. I've called and made arrangements for a limo to pick you both up, the manager of the hotel said he'll personally see to it that each guest is directed to the ballroom."

"Oh that is great!" She said clapping her hands together rather fast and walking to the door.

"Well I'm sure You, Tom and your guest will have a good time tonight. Let Tom know I'll see him on Monday." Sarah said as she opened the door for Jade.

"You're not coming tonight?"

Sarah turned back around to face her "uh no… why would I?"

"Don't be daft you're our friend too. So you have to be here to celebrate with us tonight. It'll be fun and I won't take no for an answer. Remember its semi-formal." she said as she walked out the door.

"Damn it." Sarah stomped her foot like a five year old and slammed the door. She retreated into the bedroom to begin the process of getting ready. She needed to look for a dress.

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><p>After stopping over at Sarah place, Jade made a quick detour to her best friends flat. They sat in her friends' lavish London apartment drinking tea and getting updated with each other lives. Jade didn't waste any time telling Veronica about her Romantic outing with Tom.<p>

Oh Verde it was so beautiful! After we went sightseeing we went on a carriage ride and he surprised me with a picnic in the park. Then we lay underneath the stars and made love." Jade said with dreamy eyes.

"Is everything good between you two now? I know you said that he seemed a little different lately."

"Yes. He said it was just work and all the traveling getting to him and that he would try his hardest to make more time for us both."

"Don't you think that personal assistant of his should be making more time for you two. I mean isn't that what you both hired her for." She said with insinuation.

"True but it isn't her that makes him travel around the world doing meet and greets and interviews his publicist does that. Sarah just keeps him to his schedule, runs his errands, make his phone calls confirming when he'll be somewhere…she even helps him with things at his home and-"

Whoa!"Veronica put her hand up to stop Jade from talking."What! She's in that flat with him? Alone?

"Yeah well she comes and helps me sometimes." She said innocently

"You don't see how wrong that is do you? Aren't you afraid he'll fall in love with her?

"That's impossible. I trust him! I know he loves me and me only." she proclaimed "And besides they just work together I've hardly seen them talk to each."

"Jadey I would watch out for her. She is American after all she's probably as slutty as they come. You've watched Jersey Shore you know what America is all about! Sex!" she said with seriousness

"Veronica I think you've lost it" Jade laughed "I have nothing to worry about. She's so not his type anyway."

"There has to be something going on. Why else would he all of a sudden do romantic things to make you happy? He's never done things like with you before. I mean while all of sudden would he want to take control."

At this Jade was quiet, her smile fading away at the words of her friend. She had thought about that long and hard on the plane ride home. She wondered if he had something to be guilty about. The last two nights they were in New York Tom had taken control in the bed department that was the one thing she knew was definitely different, but it was good it was really good mind blowing sex. She wanted to believe he was making up for not being around her and that is what she would believe for now. She didn't know if she should believe what her gut feeling was telling her or what her mind told her to brush off.

Jade set her tea down on the table and stood up to leave.

"I need to be going now. I'll see you at the party tonight."

"Is she going to be there?"

Jade nodded her head.

"You're my best friend Jade I want you and Tom to work, no one will be good enough for him except you. As your best friend I'm going to keep an eye on her for you." Jade a kiss and hug to her faithful friend and turned on her heel to leave.

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><p>Tom woke up after having his "after flight nap" he was keen to these naps after long flights. He was glad to be back home after being gone for a week. He put on a t-shirt and basketball shorts to lounge around in for the rest of the night. He had one more day to think about his predicament and then Monday would be here.<p>

Tom was just about to sit on his couch when a knock came at the door. He opened the door and there stood Jade in a silver sequin dress he recognized the dress as one of the many dresses he had purchased for her.

Why are you looking so lovely? He said grabbing her hand to pull her in. He twirled her around to give her a good look.

I thought you sense we were out of town for your birthday you would want to celebrate it tonight by having some dinner and then catch a show if you catch my drift." She said winking at him.

"Thanks Jade but I kind of just wanted to stay home tonight. We just got back. How about we stay here and we can catch the show."

"Please Tom I really want us to go out tonight. Your birthday shouldn't go uncelebrated; we always celebrate your birthday."

"We can celebrate it, but just here. I don't mind."

Jade looked to the floor and began to cry. He hated when she cried.

Through her tears she managed to get out "I thought you were trying to be a better boyfriend."

How could he deny her now? No matter how much he hated being out tonight he would do it for her.

Alright I'll go out to dinner with you.

She quickly looked up with her face free of tears and said" Good hurry up the limo will be here soon."

She sure knew how to use everything to her advantage he thought as he walked into the bathroom to shower.

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><p>Standing in front of the bathroom mirror Sarah did a quick check to make sure her dress fit right on her. As soon as she left the hotel she went to shop for a dress to wear to the party. She picked out a cute purple cocktail dress w a sequined sweetheart neckline a purple ribbon tied around her waist into a pretty bow at the small of her back in front was a large floral accent although the skirt of the dress was solid it had different purples of lace, the wire edge made it flare out at the bottom almost like a tutu. With her hair down in curls, bangs swept to the side, and make up fixed to her liking she was ready to go.

She called a cab for what seemed like the millionth time that day. She was surprised she wasn't going broke with all the money she spent riding back and forth thru London. She grabbed her black cardigan to cover up with. No matter how confidant she was it didn't mean she was confidant with the way her body looked.

She checked her bag to see if she had everything she needed in case an emergency came up. Packed away at the top of her bag was a birthday present for Tom it wasn't much but it was the only thing she could think to give to him. At the sound of the cabs horn she hurried to slip on her satin black platform heels. Slipped on her cardigan and bag and went out the door in hopes that tonight wouldn't be a complete bust.

Once she had arrived at the venue she quickly checked in her purse at the front desk and made her way to the Crystal Ballroom. As Sarah entered the doors of the ballroom she couldn't believe how extravagant it looked. The structure of the ballroom was very elegant with four large dome chandeliers each with its own inset ceiling. There were large white lounge chairs in one corner of the room, a dance floor in front of the DJ table, and under one chandelier was the bar with tall tables and stools scattered around on the sides and going out into the patio. The round dinner tables were covered in silver table cloths the centerpieces held floating tea light candles in a bowl. Bunches of white balloons were placed all around the ballroom, the blue lighting made the white curtains hanging around the stone pillars glow ice blue, the room was dark but not too dark. It looked very much like she had envisioned it to be. Everyone that had arrived was dressed in there best. The DJ was already gracing everyone's ears with a good beat. Drinks were being served at the bar and plenty people were dancing. Things looked to be in good order.

Before she could walk further into the ballroom she felt her phone vibrate in her hand. It was a text from Jade letting her know that they would be at the hotel in a few minutes and that she wanted everyone to greet Tom with a surprise happy birthday when they entered the door. Sarah made her way over to the DJ table happy to have found that the hotel manager was standing right by the small stage. Just as she came up to him her phone vibrated again with another text. Jade and Tom were at the hotel.

Sarah quickly told the manager to make the announcement. He went up on the stage asking the DJ to cut the music before taking the microphone in his hand.

"I would like to make the announcement that the guest of honor is in the building at this very moment and would like to ask that you please quiet down so we can greet him with a surprise Happy Birthday. We're going to turn out the lights and as soon as those doors open and he walks in you say Happy Birthday!"

As soon as he said this the lights went out and total silence took over the room.

* * *

><p>Jade took Tom by the hand and dragged him out of the limo.<p>

"Will you at least smile" she said. "It is your birthday you would think you could be a bit more cheerful."

"Yeah it's _my_ birthday and we're at some hotel. Why couldn't we just stay home?" He whined.

Jade was surprised he wasn't rolling around on the floor crying. "There's a new restaurant here that I thought you might like. Now come on, maybe when dinner is done we can get a room and celebrate alone." She said with a wink.

With that offer he would give in. Tom and Jade checked in their coats and walked over to a pair of double wide doors. A member of the hotel staff greeted them at the door and asked if they had reservations.

"Yes under Jade Gordon."

"Oh yes please let me see you inside."

They entered the ballroom and before Tom could ask why the lights were out. The lights turned on.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" emitted from the crowd before him. He was speechless.

He turned to Jade and kissed her lips. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"I love you. Thank You." He turned to the crowd of partygoers and said "Thank You very much. Im actually quit speechless at the moment. Please everyone enjoy your selves."

With that some resumed the party, while others went up to wish Tom Happy Birthday. Through the crowd of people he searched for her. He was sure she would have to be here. As his eyes scanned through the crowd, unaware of anyone who was greeting him he spotted her. She was sitting on the stage behind a loud speaker. He was just about to excuse himself from the crowd to go talk to her when Jade quickly whisked him away towards the bar.

It was probably for the best he thought. He would converse with her when he had time. Tonight he would forget anything that happened and enjoy being with his friends.

An hour later, Tom walked around the room personally greeting everyone he met while he tried looking for Sarah. He didn't understand why he was eager to see her. You would think after his week away from her he would feel different about her but those things didn't go away in a week. He would approach her as a friend and deal with his inner thoughts day by day. That's all she was a friend.

Tom broke from his reverie as the music cut and he heard tapping sounds over the microphone. Jade was standing on the stage she spotted him and waved him over to join her.

Once he got on the stage he spotted Sarah by chance she was standing in the middle of everyone with a drink in hand she looked to him and gave a warm smile as she turned her attention to Jade.

"Good Evening everyone. I would just like to thank you all for being here tonight…"She held her drink in hand but was slightly swaying "I would like to thank all who had helped make this party happen in such a short time. " Jade took a sip of her drink. "Without the help of the hotel staff, the caterers, and all of you for being here_ I_ would have never been able to plan such a huge party in such a very short time. Right now we would like to do the cake so everyone please, everyone join me in singing Tom happy birthday"

Tom turned his attention from Jade to Sarah as he saw a swish of movement come from is peripheral vision. Sarah had downed all of the drink; she had the most livid look on her face. Jade came and grabbed his arm and walked him off the stage before he knew it he was standing in front of a three tier birthday cake with sparklers lit and a huge number 24 on the top. Everyone around him gathered around and sang him a happy birthday tune. All the while he couldn't understand why Sarah had gotten so upset.

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><p>Sarah sat in the farthest corner of the room watching everyone enjoy the party that <em>she <em>had planned in ONE WEEK! She felt like a child sitting there sulking she couldn't let that little slip up bother her. After she had downed her first drink she decided she didn't want to spend the night drinking away her anger so she decided on nursing a cherry coke and eating a few finger foods the waiters were walking around with.

The party wasn't so bad even though she hadn't spoken to anyone yet but merely smiled at passing party goers. Who knew brits could party she thought as she watched a crowd of people getting rowdy on the dance floor. They were taking freak dancing to a whole different level. She shook her head and laughed at some of the ridiculous moves.

As much as she dreaded coming to the party she was having a very good time. When she had been walking around earlier she heard a couple of guest talking about how beautiful the décor of the party was. She wouldn't lie she loved being praised for her work even if someone else did take credit for it.

As Sarah lingered in the shadows she thought all eyes were void of her. Two sets of eyes were looming over her watching her every move from opposite sides of the room. It was only one set she had become aware of. A tall man stood not too far from her vaguely talking to his company before him. He wore a nice black dress shirt and black dark grey slacks. He was very tall with a small growth of hair around his face. He had very handsome features. Sarah watched as the man said something the man standing before him shook his hand and walk straight in her direction.

She didn't recognize him at first but as he got closer she immediately had a small panic. Who knew Neville Longbottom would turn into such a hottie? Sarah looked up to him and gave a little smile. He sat in the stool across from her at the high table.

"I don't think we've met before" he affirmed.

"I don't think we have. I'm Sarah" she said extending her hand for a shake.

"I'm Matt Lewis" he took her hand in his and gave the back of her hand a small peck.

Sarah felt a slight flutter at the pit of her stomach at the pressure of his lips on her hand.

"Is that an American accent I hear?

"Yeah I believe so." She said taking a sip of her soda.

"You know I've been watching you all night."

"Oh you have, have you?" she said crossing her leg over her knee as she turned to fully face him.

"Yeah and I can't understand how a beautiful woman as yourself doesn't have a bloke to court her.

"Is that so?" she said placing the palm of her hand under her chin arching her eyebrow. "And you think you're the perfect bloke to fill in that position."

He laughed "Well I thought I would give it a shot."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh at his forwardness. She'd have to give it to him for having the balls to come up to her; she admired his act of veracity even if he was staring right at her chest.

"Eyes up here buddy."

"Sorry I thought I saw something right there" he said swiping his finger over the mound of her left breast. "but it's gone now." He finished taking a sip of his cocktail.

"You know seeing as how I just met you and I don't want to cause a scene in front of your mates. I'm gonna let that little gesture slide. Just so you know the next time you touch me like that I'm gonna split your dick in half." Sarah hopped off the stool, and headed out to the terrace and down to the gardens. Letting out a huff of air she sat down on the stairs wrapping her cardigan around her chest.

She sat admiring the gardens, beautiful large bushes ran down both sides of the stairs with small sprouting flowers, a water fountain stood at the center, the water spewing from it changed color with the lights. Many flowers were spread throughout the landscape. Gazing at the view before her she heard footsteps coming down the stairs towards her. Great!

As the footsteps got closer she said "what does this asshole want?" loud enough so she could be heard by her intruder.

"I don't think the birthday boy should be called an asshole on his birthday"

Sarah smiled to herself as the person behind her came and sat right next her.

* * *

><p>Tom had seen the whole exchange between Matt and Sarah. He didn't know if he should go after her or beat the crap out of his long time friend. The latter he seemed to favor. He had never felt so much jealously for anyone as he watched Sarah talk with him but he had never felt so much relief when she got up and walked away from the table. From the way Matt looked it seemed she had taken care of the situation herself.<p>

He followed her out to the gardens but stopped at the foot of the stairs before turning towards the ballroom doors and then turning back as she sat down on the step. He felt the moment he said a word to her everything he had taught himself to believe would be out the window and he would be back to square one. What could he do? He would see her on Monday and have to talk to her then so what was the point in waiting.

He took the steps that would lead him to the point of no return. As he got closer he heard her sigh and say "What does this asshole want?"

She must have thought he was Matt this caused him to smile wide at thought she found his friend repulsive.

"I don't think the birthday boy should be called an asshole on his birthday." He said as he came to sit beside her.

"I thought you were someone else." She said all harshness from her voice gone as she smiled at him. That single smile melting all the guards he had put up just to talk to her.

"And who might that someone else be?" He asked inquiring to hear about their conversation.

"The same someone one who just confirmed he was like every other guy in the world."

"What's every other guy?"

"You know the one's with luring smiles and wandering hands. An asshole jerk face." She said. With a sly smile on her face she continued "Happy Birthday by the way."

He snickered at her analogy "What's the guy between the asshole and the jerk face?"

"Oh the guy in between is compassionate, sophisticated, suave, charming. Someone whose not completely into himself…who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to get it." He saw the dreamy state she was in and how her face fell at the reality of finding such a guy. It took every strength in him to not tell her that he could be that person for her. He would be anything she wanted him to be but his voice of reasoning interrupted those thoughts reminding him he was besotted to another.

She looked out to the garden and said "so exactly how many people at this party do you know?"

"I would say about five percent." He laughed."Most of the people here are friends of Jade. She always likes a good party." He paused then said "Thank you by the way for planning it on such short notice." He knew Jade hadn't done everything she was a terrible planner.

Sarah gave him a playful push on his arm. "How did you know?"

"Well Jade can't plan a party to save her life. And I noticed the sparklers on the cake." Tom remembered a conversation they had while discussing birthday traditions it was one of their random conversations they were prone to have. He had told her it was his family's tradition to have sparklers on the cake instead of candles and as the sparklers went out like falling stars he would then make his wish.

"Did you make your wish?"

"No Jade burnt them out so they could cut the cake and continue with the party." He was annoyed at the fact that when Jade was around her friends she turned into someone else she always rushed everything so she could continue to party and even at the expense of _his _supposed birthday party.

"That sucks." Sarah leaned back on the palms of her hands and looked at the stars above them. Tom looked over to Sarah the glow of the moon was cascading down on her features bathing her in an angelic glow. She was absolutely beautiful. His eyes traveled from her face to her legs. He looked up at the sky in fear of being caught gawking at her.

She sat up and looked at him with the widest smile on her face. "I know what we could do!"

He motioned her to go on.

"We could do my family tradition so that way you can make your wish."

"I'm intrigued. You never told me what that was" She never really said anything about herself come to think of it.

"It's not really anything great but at the end of the party whoever's birthday it was would grab an amount of balloons of they age they had turned that year and go outside and make a wish and release them." She threw her hands in the air to signify the release of the balloons. He had never seen her so happy to do something so simple. "It's dumb isn't it?" she said with slight embarrassment her hands still in the air

"No. It's not I would love to do that with you." As he said this he grabbed both her hands and pulled them down his thumbs rubbing at the fronts of her hands; an innocent gesture he told himself. The sound of clapping heels on pavement approaching caused them both to turn towards the sound behind them. He quickly but reluctantly let Sarah's hand go.

* * *

><p>Tom got to his feet and offered his hand out to Sarah to help her stand. When Sarah turned around she was facing a woman she hadn't seen before. She was blonde,tall and slender, with enough make up on to pass as a clown, her cheeks were awfully bronzed, and her eyeliner was extremely thick. She wore a mini dress that barely covered half her thighs and thin hooker heels. Sarah didn't know the woman standing before her, but knew on sight that she didn't like her. But she put on her best fake smile as she assumed the other woman was doing as well.<p>

"Tom I think you need to take Jade home she's pretty drunk." The woman said not even looking at Tom but staring Sarah up and down as she talked or more like slurred her words.

Tom ignored her command and introduced the two women to each other.

"Sarah this is Jades best friend Veronica. Veronica this is Sarah."

Sarah waved at the other woman and said "Hi nice to meet you"

Veronica took a sip of the drink she had in hand and in a rude manner said "oh you must be the assistant?"

In an instant Sarah's eyes turned ice cold but her smile didn't falter. Tom saw this and to prevent any further comments he spoke.

"Where's Jade?"

"She was about to pass out so I set her down at some table." She said waving her hand toward the ballroom.

Tom looked panicked "You just left her there."

"I'm sorry but I thought you should be the one to take her home."

Sarah looked at Tom with understanding eyes "Go ahead and go I'll take care of everything."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded her head "Its fine. It's like 2 in the morning anyway so everyone's probably getting ready to leave."

"I'll let everyone know we're leaving, Thanks again." he said as he moved past Veronica and made his way back into the ballroom. Now it was just her and Veronica. Sarah's face was completely expressionless as she stared down her opponent.

"Can I help you with something?"

"No but there is something I can help you with."Veronica said coming down a few steps to come face to face with Sarah. She took hold of Sarah's chin bringing her eyes up to lock gazes. Sarah could smell the foul alcohol on the other woman's breath. "A warning" She continued. "Don't get too comfortable around Tom. He loves her and her only. If anything comes between them I'm going to assume that you're the reason.

Sarah pulled away from the girls hand and with one push knocked the girl down to the floor. The girl lay splayed on the floor as the contents from her glass spilled all over her dress. Sarah put a hand to her mouth and in a sarcastic tone said "oh, you should really learn to walk in those" she pointed at the girls heels. "You don't want to go around "assuming" you know how to walk in them. You might just end up falling on your ass."As the girl attempted to stand Sarah again pushed the girl down.

While cursing at Sarah, Veronica tried to get up from the floor while holding the empty glass in one hand, and trying to hold down her skimpy dress with the other, falling down at every attempt. Sarah descended up the stairs laughing all the way up. Knowing she couldn't just leave the girl there she told the first person she saw that there was girl who needed assistance getting home.

By the time she had made it into the ball room there were only a few stragglers. The DJ had lowered down the music and announced the last dance of the night. Within a half an hour everyone had left the ballroom. Being as late as it was Sarah didn't feel tired at all so she stayed and helped clean up. She helped the hotel staff stack chairs, gather wine glasses, and strip down the tables, as well as folding them and stacking them against the wall.

Sarah sat down at the last empty table to be put away and threw her heels off. The pressure coming off her aching feet felt like heaven. Sarah took out her phone from her usual spot in her bra and looked at the time. It was now 4 in the morning. As she swung her legs back and forth sitting on the table she saw Tom enter the room.

"I went to your place but you weren't there." He said.

He was still wearing the same clothes so she knew that he hadn't gotten any sleep yet. He looked just awake as she did. She could feel her insides heat up at the sight of him.

"I wasn't tired so I stayed to help clean up."

Across the room a man about 6 ft tall and jet black hair and various tattoos called out to her "Have a good night Sarah!"

"Thanks! Have a goodnight Charlie!" Tom gave her an odd look. "What?" She shrugged. "He's the DJ. We struck up a conversation while he was helping me stack chairs."

"He looks like a jerk face." He said under his breath but she heard him and smiled.

"Is Jade okay?" she asked sincerely

"Yeah she just had a little too much to drink"

"Well everything's okay here." She jumped off the table and began tip it over. Tom motioned to her to step aside so that he could put the table away for her. "You didn't have to come back. I told you I would take care of everything."

"Well I thought we could do the balloon release." He said nervously.

Sarah heart stopped beating for a moment at the thought of him coming all this way, at this hour to do some silly balloon release. It was very endearing of him. She didn't know what else to think of it.

* * *

><p>After Tom had left the party with Jade he couldn't help but be a little miffed. Even though Jade had needed him at the moment he still wanted to be with at the party with Sarah. He was right the moment they were to talk again everything went out the window. The feelings he had for her came full force.<p>

He had paced his living room floor for a good hour before he decided on seeing Sarah again. He went to her flat to see if she was there but when she wasn't he could only think she would be back at the resort and too his luck she was. Sitting on top of a table swinging her legs back and forth her hair wasn't down as it was earlier but it was in a nice messy bun. She was gorgeous. Immediately he thought about the woman who was currently asleep in his bed unaware that her love was nowhere near her. Sarah still had yet to notice his presence he could leave and she would never know he was there.

Too late. As soon as he made for the door she looked up and saw him. He took it as fate. He was supposed to be here with her.

So now here they were standing in the gardens looking to the stars. Tom held twenty four balloons in his hand he looked at Sarah waiting for further instructions.

"Well there's actually nothing else to it. You just make a wish and let them go" she said looking at him. "I told you it was lame.

Tom took a step closer and with his free hand grabbed Sarah's wrist and brought up her open hand to grasp around the extra length of string just above his hand. Electric waves passed through their bodies at the surprised contact. "Let's make a wish together."

"o-oh okay" she was still recovering from that wave. She held the string loosely in her hand. "On three?"

Tom nodded and together they counted "one, two, three!"

They watched the big white balloons sail into the early morning sky. Tom and Sarah looked at each other with an arched brow and sly smiles both wanting to know what the other wished for.

Sensing the other unvoiced question they said in unison "I'm not telling!" and laughed.

Once the laughter had settled Sarah looked at her phone to look at the time. It was already 5 in the morning. She showed Tom and both let out a sigh. He didn't want their moment to end. As he followed Sarah up the stairs a thought came to his mind.

"Hey Sarah?"

"Yeah?" she said turning around to face him stopping at the top step.

"Do you maybe want to get some breakfast? I know a place that's open early?" he hoped she wasn't too tired.

"Sure."

They walked out of the ballroom and headed toward the lobby. Sarah went to grab her bag while Tom got the car. He didn't know what he was doing by asking her to breakfast. Well he did but he didn't want to acknowledge it the way it was. He saw it as two friends grabbing a bite to eat. Nothing more.

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><p><strong>AN: Long Chapter I know! I hope it was good! Well thanks for reading and I will see you next Tuesday! Read and Review!**


	9. Off In the Night While You Live it Up

*Title of the chapter taken from the song "Use Somebody" by King Of Leon.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Off in the night while you live it up (I'm off to sleep)<strong>

Tom drove to a small diner not too far from the hotel. It was a nice and quiet place with bar stools, huge booths, wide windows and checkered floors it had an almost fifties theme but a little bit on the modern side. Tom had come here with his father when he was younger so it was very special to him. Tom and Sarah sat at a booth by one of the wide set windows at the far end of the diner.

"Whoa did you guys come from a dance?" Said the waitress as she approached the table looking over Tom with his black buttoned up shirt, rolled up sleeves and grey slacks. She was a small short older woman who looked to be well into her 50's with white blond hair in tight spiral curls; she had a white buttoned up shirt and black shorts with an apron tied around her waist.

"No, we just came from a birthday party." said Tom smiling at the woman.

"Actually his birthday party" said Sarah pointing at Tom.

"Well Happy Birthday handsome." The older woman licked her lips and gave Tom a wink. "What can I get you two to drink?" said in a very bad sultry voice.

"I'll have an iced tea" said Sarah stifling a laugh. The older woman wrote her order down but didn't bother to look at her. Her eyes were all on Tom.

"uh." Tom smiled politely "I-I'll just have a coffee please."

"Alright sweetheart, I'll be back in a minute here are your menus. My names Marla by the way." Tom and Sarah watched Marla the waitress walk away with a very noticeable sway to her hips. Both laughed out loud once she was out of sight.

"That was interesting." said Tom in between laughs.

"I can't believe she just did that. That was way too funny Thomas."

Tom watched as Sarah looked down at the table and laughed the apples of her cheeks reaching to her eyes the sound of her giggle made his heart flip. He was thankful she was with him when it happened. Tom knew that if Jade had witnessed what the woman had done he would never hear the end of it. That was one of the flaws in their relationship, Jade was a very jealous person and had a hard time excepting that random girls were going throw themselves at him and every time they did he would constantly have to reassure her that his love was only for her. But these days he wasn't so sure.

"What are you going to get?" said Sarah looking over the menu folded out in front of her. Tom picked up his menu as well and looked at the many options in front of him.

"I think I will get the breakfast platter." The platter came with eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, toast, and fried potatoes. He was sure this would be enough to fill him up he was extremely hungry.

"Hmmm. I think I'll get the same thing." Sarah laid down the menu and as soon as she did the waitress came and set down there drinks. Sarah noticed this time that the woman had put on a little make-up and had unbuttoned the first three buttons on her blouse flaunting EVERYTHING she had. Tom noticed as well as he awkwardly placed there order.

"Wow she's really working for that tip." Sarah said taking the top half of her straw off and blowing into her straw launching the other half at the tip of Toms' nose. She stuck her straw in her drink and took a small sip." So how long have you known that Veronica chick?"

Tom was surprised she had brought up Veronica even though he had introduced them he hardly thought she was worth talking about.

"For about as long as I've been with Jade." Sarah nodded her head but didn't let on to anything more so he asked "Why?"

"Nothing…well….we might have had a little altercation after you left." She gave a half smile and began to stir her tea to avoid looking at him.

Tom knew Veronica all too well she was an instigator. Often enough she was always causing trouble when they went out with her and her boyfriend Darren, it was even worse when she was drunk. She was definitely a loud mouth. Tom thought he should have known better than to leave Sarah alone with her.

He let out a sigh of annoyance "What did she do?"

Sarah met eyes with Tom. She wasn't sure if she should tell him what Veronica had said or what she had done first. Either way she didn't want Tom hearing what she did from someone else and have to end up firing her.

"Well it's more like what I did."

Tom arched both eyebrows astonished.

"I sort of pushed her down…twice." Sarah saw the shock in his eyes and quickly began to plead her case."Right after you left she came up to me and grabbed my face and said that she had a warning for me and then I pulled away from her and then pushed her because honestly I wasn't going to take that crap from a person I just met or anyone. I mean come on who does that, but the second time I did it I did it for fun. I'm really sorry." She buried her head in her arms to avoid his gaze.

Tom had never seen someone talk as quickly as she did and that he actually got everything. He didn't know why he was worried about leaving her alone with Veronica it was obvious she could take care of herself. In a way he felt proud. The phrase '_That's my girl'_ wanted to escape his lips but she wasn't and that thought was not lost on him. Did she say warning?

"A warning about what?"

Sarah sat up but still didn't meet his eyes as she was biting at her lip. For the past two months he had seen Sarah do that, it was always when she didn't know what to say or how to say it. She took another drink of her tea and cleared her throat.

"Well-"

Just as she was about to speak Marla the waitress came over with their food. She set out their plates in front of them. The plates were huge and held a lot of food. Pancakes were on one plate the rest of the meal was on the other. Tom waited for Sarah's eyes to grow wide at the amount of food in front of them but they didn't. The waitress left them to their meal as they dug in.

Sarah began to salt her eggs and potatoes before taking a bite. Tom started his meal off by buttering his pancakes and cutting them up into squares. The first few minutes were quiet; they were engaged with the meal before them to make conversation. That is until Tom remembered his question.

"So, a warning about what?" he said taking a bite of his toast.

Sarah held her fork in the air as she was in mid bite of eating her sausage. She put her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin. She was hoping he wouldn't ask again but she brought it up so thought she should just tell him the truth it's not as things were awkward enough.

"She sort of...insinuated…that if you and Jade have any problems in your relationship that she was going to "assume". Sarah made air quotation marks. "That I'm the reason for it."

Tom couldn't help but feel a little panicked. What was Jade telling her to make her think Sarah would have to do with anything. Was Jade sensing the way he was feeling about Sarah?

"I told her that she shouldn't assume things like that because you and I are just friends."

Well she didn't exactly say that but she figured Veronica knew what she meant. Judging by the way Tom looked she came to realize that was far from the truth on his part she began to panic as well. Until…

"Yeah were just friends" said Tom looking down at his plate and then looking at Sarah."I know I'm your employer but I think of you as my friend too. Just my friend."

Tom figured if he said it enough maybe he could believe it too. Saying it hurt just a little. He plastered a smile to his face. "Well I'm glad you defended our friendship."

"I am too. She's a real bitch." She said flippantly. She pushed her empty plate away from her and tended to her pancakes. Tom had to laugh he wasn't very fond of Veronica either and was glad that there was someone else he had that in common with.

Tom resumed eating, after a few bites he was too full to continue eating and pushed both half eaten plates to the side. Tom looked up at Sarah's plate and saw that it was completely empty and only a little bit of syrup could be seen. Apparently she had been finished for awhile, she was just sitting there drinking the rest of her tea and looking out the window. Sarah noticed his gaze.

"Yes?"

"How can you eat so much and stay so small? I've seen you eat every single thing since you've been here and you always seem to amaze me every time you clean your plate."

Sarah shrugged her shoulders "I like food."

Just then Marla came over to give them the bill and taking Sarah's two empty plates and Tom half empty ones and went back into the kitchens. Tom gave the bill a once over and then passed it to Sarah. When Sarah received the bill she saw that Marla had kissed the bill leaving an imprint of her bright red lips along with her phone number.

"Aw that's cute. You should leave her a big tip."

And that what he did. After paying the bill and leaving a big tip for the waitress Tom drove Sarah home. By the time they made it back they were both unable to control their yawns.

"Did you know that when you yawn it's your body's way of trying to wake you up?"

Tom leaned his head on the head rest and lazily shook his head while looking at Sarah.

"I thought I would just tell you that." She let out a small yawn."Well Thanks for everything, you know breakfast and all." Just then she remembered his gift in her bag.

"You're welcome lovely."

Sarah pulled out his gift from her bag and held it out to him. Tom sat up to get a good look at it. The package was wrapped in silver and blue happy birthday wrapping paper with a nice silver bow on top. Tom looked at Sarah in awe as he took the present in her hands.

"You can open it now or later, but just so you know it's not really the best gift that I could give you."While she rambled on about the gift she had given him he had already begun to open it catching little things she said like "what do you get the boy who has everything" and "Its lame."

In front of him was a beautiful CD cover with, Big Ben standing next to the Palace of Westminster with The London tower bridge painted above all of them on a shiny piece of foil. Each attraction was very detailed little glimmers of foil shown where windows should be, the black outlines made the picture pop out and the open space of above read "London Calling" in an elegant scripture with stars scattered across a night sky. All he could do was smile. He had never been given something that didn't cost an arm and a leg. This was something she had made just for him! This was something special.

"It seems dim-witted to give you a painting of London. Just because you are from London so you see those things every day. I should have painted something else." She criticized.

"Thank You. This is really beautiful. I'm speechless… You did this yourself?" He wondered how she could be so hard on herself she was very talented.

She nodded in response but didn't look at him. "I painted it on foil and warped it around a piece of cardboard. So don't take it out its delicate."

Tom opened the case to reveal that the disc inside was painted as well. He chuckled as he recognized what it was "The London eye."

Sarah grinned "yeah, I know it's not much but I thought I would make you a mix CD of some of the music I've listened to since I got to this lovely place. And since you're always pestering me about what I listen to I just thought I would give you a sample of what I have on my phone."

"I look forward to listening to it. Thank you Sarah, seriously this is the nicest gift I've ever received. It trumps all others I've been given." He really was being honest.

"Well, you're welcome." She said as her cheeks flushed red."I should be going now." She didn't know what made her do it but she did it. Sarah leaned over to Tom and gave him a light kiss on the cheek and said "Happy Birthday Thomas." And quickly got out of the car and walked into the complex.

* * *

><p>Tom walked into his bedroom and saw that Jade was still sleeping. He figured she probably wouldn't be waking until around noon. He decided on taking a shower to wash away the night's events. As the water pounded away at his body he touched the spot on his face where Sarah had laid a kiss. He closed his eyes imagining those soft full lips pressing against his. He now knew that he wanted to kiss her…badly. As he washed up he pondered what this all meant. Kissing her wasn't something he could just go out and do. There were some very serious issues he needed to figure out. One would be if she felt the same way about him. Two would be his relationship with Jade.<p>

He still loved her very much but his feelings for Sarah were becoming severe. In just one night Sarah had opened up a copious amount of questions that he needed to find the answers too. Did he only want to pursue her because she was off limits? Could he give up being with Jade to be with Sarah? Was it love he felt for her? His mind was reeling.

It was now 8 in the morning and he could feel his eyelids going heavy as he lay next to Jade but he couldn't quite get to sleep. Tom slowly got up from the bed and picked up his birthday present Sarah had given him off the dresser drawer and headed into his "man cave". He inserted the CD into his laptop and plugged in his headphones. He sat on a curved lounge chair and placed the headphones on his ears and set the laptop on his lap before pressing play. Leaning back into the chair he closed his eyes and listened to every track on the disc not once but twice before transferring them to his phone.

The songs that she had put on there were songs that he had never heard before, but the melodies were calm and steady. He was glad she gave him something of hers that she was so passionate about.

He took the disc out and set his laptop beside him on the floor. As he sat back listening to the songs once again he placed the CD back in its case and began brush his fingers across the cover.

"What am I going to do?"

* * *

><p>Once Sarah entered into her flat and placed her messenger bag on the back of one of her table chairs. She slipped off her heels and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of cranberry juice. As she drank from her cup she couldn't believe she had just kissed him. It was purely innocent she told herself. It's not like it was on the lips. She was sure it wouldn't be too bad if it was. She shook the thought from her head and placed the empty glass in the sink.<p>

Walking into the bathroom she placed her hair in a clip and freshened up. She slid off her dress and hung it on a hanger and put on her usual lounge clothes (a tank top and shorts) and lay on her bed. The events of the early morning came crashing into her mind as she looked at the ceiling.

He was being sweet tonight. _Well you were being sweet on him too. _

Sarah couldn't help but beam as she remembered the way he smelled as she moved forward to kiss him. She always loved the way he smelled like timber or pine. It was something manly but it wasn't too overpowering. The touch of his hand on her wrist was fresh in her mind. The way he spoke her name in his British accent made her squeal. He looked so good tonight! All the memories of the night that she shouldn't be clinging on to were clouding her vision. It had become clear to her that she was now crushing on him.

"What is going on with me?" she spoke in aggravation. She rubbed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Things are getting way too complicated. He was only back for one day and already she was stressing about the way she was feeling. She needed to get it through her head that he could never be hers. Jade didn't know how lucky she was to have such a good guy.

Sarah wrapped herself into her blankets and rolled onto her side in hopes to end her frustration. To her luck it only took a few seconds before she gave into a slumber.

* * *

><p>Jade woke to an empty bed and a pounding headache. The clock on the bedside table read 1:45 pm. Where was Tom? She slowly got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She steadied her head with the palm of her hand to make the walls stop spinning. She brushed her teeth and popped some aspirin and took a shower. She grabbed a spare robe and walked out into the halls to search for Tom. She checked in the living room but saw no sign of him. She walked to the one room she knew he would be in and sure enough he was. He was sprawled out on a lounge chair with headphones on and clutching something in his hands.<p>

She took the headphones off and laid them on the floor along with his phone. She had never seen him look so content she smiled to herself thinking he must've had fun last night. Jade walked over to the couch and grabbed a throw blanket to cover a sleeping Tom.

Forgetting he was still holding something she flipped the blanket over and took the CD case out of his hand. She looked at the beautiful art work on the cover. It must have been new because she had never seen it before. Jade diligently placed the case on the shelf with all his other miscellaneous things.

Jade quietly left the room and walked back into the bedroom. Laying back on the bed she went over the events of last night. It was such a wonderful night. She realized that she did get a little rowdy and shouldn't have made Tom leave so early.

She loved having a good time with her friends. Although, she had to take it down a notch or two since she was in the public eye more often. She hated that she had to change who she was because of who she was dating. She loved Tom but she just wished he was more acceptable to partying and clubbing like he was when they first started going together. These days it seemed he only wanted to be home and work when he had to.

He was willing to give her anything she wanted and that was good enough for her. If she asked to go to Barbados they would be there by tomorrow morning, if she asked for the latest pair of Chanel boots she would have them within the hour. So why couldn't he just let her have a little fun?

She realized too much fun might be detrimental to their relationship. She didn't want anything that she was doing without him getting back to Tom. If he found out what she had done behind his back their relationship was sure to end. She couldn't have that happen. Jade couldn't help but be a little promiscuous throughout their relationship. She never knew what had provoked her to do such things when she went out but she did them. Tom was a great lover but sometimes things just happened in the moment, she felt her sexual tendencies were beyond her control especially when she had a little alcohol in her.

Jade knew that if things were reversed she would definitely be a raving lunatic. She couldn't help but feel a little unnerved about Veronica's comment. Sarah was a big help what with planning his birthday party and taking care of other things but was she needed around Tom as much as she was. Jade didn't want to fire her but if she felt Sarah was getting in the way she would. It would be a great jolt to everyone but she didn't want anyone trying to take what was hers. She'd play dirty if she had to.

Keeping Tom away from Sarah would be the best route for now.

* * *

><p>Jumping up quickly to answer her phone Sarah rushed to the kitchen to pick up her phone. She had been having the most erotic dream about a certain dirty blonde. The things that were happening in that dream would be banned in most countries.<p>

"Hello?" she answered in her sleepy state but maintaining a cheerful tone.

"Hi Sarah, it's Jade I need you to meet me at Windmear Café in about an hour?"

Sarah rubbed her face and wiped the slaver off the sides of her mouth before answering. She wanted to say no I'm sleeping but had to be there if she wanted to or not.

"yeah sure" her eyes closed without much resistance as she lazily leaned against the kitchen counter.

"okay I'll see you then!"

Sarah checked the time it was exactly 4PM. She slowly walked to her bathroom only glancing at her bed for second. She feared if she looked at it any longer she would miss her meeting with Jade, which wouldn't be a bad thing considering she pushed her aside by not mentioning that she had planned the party also. Grudgingly turning on the shower she slowly undressed herself and stepped on the cold wet tile shutting the shower door behind her.

After a mere 40 minutes Sarah was all ready to go. Since they were only going to a café she decided on tying her hair up in a ponytail and wearing skinny jeans, a plain mulberry low cut t-shirt and a black cotton jacket, and black converse.

Stepping out the door Sarah walked to the café. Being familiar with the location of the Café she knew it would only take about 10 minutes to get there so she didn't rush. Coming up to a bench outside the café she sat and waited for Jade. The cooling air provided the right temperature for her to nod off. Sarah's head fell back on the bench as she shut her eyes for what seemed like a second.

"Are you sleeping?"

Sarah felt someone nudge her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find Jade standing in front of her.

"No I was actually trying to see what my eyelids looked like from the inside." said Sarah rubbing at her eyes.

"Come on lets go inside a little coffee might wake you up."

Jade and Sarah walked into the café not saying much of anything else except their orders. With their cups of coffee in hand they made their way to a table in the corner of the café.

"So did you have a good time at the party?"

"Yeah it was really nice." Sarah took a sip of her coffee.

"I want to apologize for not telling everyone that you had planned the party. I was a little bit tipsy." Jade blushed.

"No I understand." I understand that you can't hold your liquor she thought. Sarah gave Jade a small smile before drinking her coffee.

"Good. I also wanted to meet with you because I feel that because you did such an amazing job with the party that I would like to give you a full week off with pay."

Sarah nearly spit out her coffee. "That's very nice of you but really it's not necessary I was just doing my job." She tried to assure Jade.

No I insist." Jade placed a hand on Sarah's. "Can I tell you something?"

Sarah saw the seriousness on Jades face and nodded for her to continue.

"Tom hasn't been acting like himself lately. Last week in New York we had such a goodtime with just the two of us and I sort of want to extend that little holiday into this week if you know what I mean.

Sarah felt her heart sink into her stomach while her head stayed leveled telling her she didn't care what they did.

"Okay. Well then I guess I will be seeing you next Monday." She feigned a smile that she made sure reached her ears.

"Good. Here is your pay for this week and next week." Jade happily stood from the table and placed the check in Sarah's hand. Sarah couldn't help but feel a little sad that she wouldn't be able to see Tom again for another week but thought it was for the best. If Jade felt like her relationship was in trouble she didn't want to get in the way of them being happy with each other.

"Thanks."

As soon as the bell chimed above the door she knew Jade was out of the café. Sarah sat alone at the table staring at her check. She got up from the table and threw her unfinished coffee in the trash. Since she had the week off there was no need to rush and cash the check. She would continue her evening with uninterrupted sleep. If she was lucky she could continue on with her dream from earlier.

It didn't hurt to dream right?

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you for reading and sorry for putting this up so late. I am working on finishing up the next chapter and it should be up next tuesday. Please Read and Review! :)**


	10. That Was Love and Its an Ache

**Title taken from the song "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Walk off the Earth**

**Chapter 10: That Was Love and It's an Ache I Still Remember**

_They were sitting on the couch watching T.V. in total silence. The tension in the room was thick. She could feel it flowing around their bodies as they faced away from each other. Sarah glanced at the brooding black haired man sitting next her. Today was different than most days with him. Today he seemed more engaged in his thoughts. His brow furrowed as he concentrated, she was sure he wasn't really watching the T.V. but merely fighting some inner battle. The tone of his skin seemed more pale than usual. He always had this sun kissed glow to him but the paleness made the tattoos on his arms look shades darker than they were. _

_She felt this would be the last time she would look at him before he said what was on his mind. She studied his face, his posture, the rise and fall of his chest as he sat little ways from her. He was trying to stay indifferent. The conversation was coming and she knew, she knew for a long time. She took his hand in hers only to have it be pulled away. She had expected that but didn't press her actions further. To her surprise he instead pulled her over into an embrace. She let her head rest on his chest as she curled up next to him. The beat of his heart was steady. If this was going to be the end she would take this one last embrace. Sarah sat and waited for him to speak._

"_I've been seeing someone else." His voice was composed. _

_Just as she expected no matter how much she prepared herself for the blow she felt her heart rip from her chest. It hurt._

"_Annabelle?" She said trying to sound as nonchalant as he was. She didn't need to look at him to know that he responded with a nod. "How long?"_

"_A little after you're birthday."_

_She suspected as much. She knew exactly when they had started to sneak around. She came home one day and saw that he was more content than ever. The only time he looked that way was during the first two years of their relationship when they had new things to discover about each other back when she was the one he loved._

"_Do you love her?"_

_Silence._

_Her heart sank._

"_Yes."_

_She didn't want him to see her cry. She rarely cried in front of people. Sarah was taught to be a strong woman and deal with her emotions in private or not deal with them at all and that was what she did. She would wait until she was alone but even by then she would probably rather not think about it. _

_Sarah moved away from his embrace and sat up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He followed after her. She turned to face him not knowing what to say to him. He loved her friend. He probably loved Annabelle more than he ever loved her. _

_He spoke "I'm going back home in the morning to be with her. I have an early flight." From the look on his face he was waiting for her to explode to go off into a rant. She wasn't going to do that. She wasn't that kind of girl to cause a scene. She would let him go unscathed deep down she knew they were beyond talking this out. So she said her final word._

"_Okay."_

_That was all she could say. They were drifting apart for the longest time. They were both unhappy with each other. She knew that it was impossible for two high school sweethearts to stay together. It was puppy love that should have ended the moment they had left school. At least he wasn't being a jerk about it. He retreated back into the other room and soon enough she heard the front door shut. _

_There she stood in the kitchen of her new apartment…alone. _

* * *

><p>The memory was still fresh in her mind. Everything she didn't feel that day came back to her ten-fold as she sat in her living room. Even after all those months that had passed by she was sure the whole ordeal didn't mean a thing to her. She was wrong; the wall she built around her heart that night was pouring every emotion she felt into her consciousness.<p>

Tears stained the letter she held in her hand and all she could look at we're the two words that stuck out to her the most. Her mind was going a hundred miles a minute.

Married? Baby?

After only 5 months of being with her he was willing to take the plunge just like that? That didn't make sense. You can be with someone for six years and not marry them but be with someone for 5 months and marrying them is okay? Sarah stared at the letter she held in her hand. Jesse her ex-boyfriend had gotten married to her ex-best friend. Annabelle was going to have a baby.

She had been rereading the letter over and over again for the past hour. Sitting on her couch hugging her knees close to her chest Sarah sat in silence going over everything. From start to finish what had went wrong in their relationship. She had given up everything to be with this man and yet nothing she did was good enough for him.

After high school they were constantly together so maybe that was why the relationship had failed. They saw too much of each other. The first few months they had lived together they were in the honeymoon stage everything was okay. That was also when things had changed and he was no longer the sweet, caring, somewhat bad boy she had known back in school. No he turned into a complete asshole.

When it came time for both of them to get a job it was her that had to make the sacrifice of dropping out of school, to support them both. No matter how hard she had tried to tell him to get a job it always ended up in a huge argument. He had always told her that she wanted to change him into something he wasn't. Maybe she was but what was wrong with having someone to care for her unconditionally. That was all she ever wanted but every single time he would only care for her for something in return.

After six long years with him she just stopped trying to earn his love and except the relationship for what it was. She had intentions of leaving him every time he acted like a jerk to her. The way she felt about him, the love she had for him, wouldn't let her. He was something familiar, she was comfortable with him. To start all over again with someone else was foreign to her. She didn't want anyone to have to repair the damage that Jesse had inflicted on her, so she stayed.

The fact that her friend had known her since they were kids didn't matter. Annabelle always got what she wanted. Sarah didn't exactly fight for him either she simply sent him on his merry way.

She didn't realize how much she could hate a person. Could she really hate him? Could she hate him for finding love with someone else? Her answer: YES! She could hate he was cunning, egotistical, jerk who treated her like shit and just dumped her like nothing they went through for those last few years meant anything.

She wasn't going to let that happen again. She wasn't going to be anyone's puppet. She wasn't going to give her heart to someone and have them step on it again. She would break in two if it happened again. If anything were to happen this time she wanted to make sure it was real. For now she would remain independent in her love.

Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes as she threw the letter on the floor. Just because she was over it didn't mean it didn't hurt just a little to find out her ex had moved on. Moving from the couch she went to get paper and a pen. Other matters in the letter needed explaining, _that_, she wasn't sure she could do either.

It was always her mother that could make her feel the most contrite about her own actions. She had only written her a week ago and didn't expect a response so fast. She knew she would have to explain herself eventually but she didn't know how she was going to do that. Should she call her? She had her reasons for leaving but to actually voice her reasons why would make everything seem too real. She wasn't ready for that.

On her way to her room Sarah stopped mid step when a knock came from the door.

* * *

><p>The day had just begun and already it was a bore. Jade was off at work and Tom was left in the big condo all by himself. The past few days were rather pleasant Jade spent all day and night tending to his every need. Tom had no idea what had gotten into her. She hardly ever spent the night at his flat but for the past four days she had been there sleeping in his bed. He would wake up to her in his arms and go to sleep the same way.<p>

He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about Sarah. He was surprised when Jade had told him she had given Sarah the week off. He felt a little crushed that he wouldn't be able to see her until the next Monday. He had been listening to his "birthday playlist" non-stop since that morning.

Every dream since then was about her. In his dreams he could smell her fruity scent and feel the touch of her skin on the tips of his fingers. The rush of blood to his manhood always caused him to take cold showers. He refused to take care of it while Jade was there. It was bad enough that he was dreaming about Sarah when Jade was lying in the bed next to him.

Tom got up from the couch and picked up the CD case. He missed her. Maybe if he saw her for an hour or two he could get through the rest of the week. Would that seem unprofessional of him to just go to her flat and say hello?

Setting the case on the shelf he sat back down on the couch and turned the T.V. off. The silence made way for his thoughts. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hear her laugh and see her smile. He felt like a school girl waiting for her crush to say hi to her.

He was going to go see her. Jade wouldn't be home until late that night so it wouldn't matter if he left or not. She wouldn't notice. He could just take Sarah out to lunch in appreciation for planning his birthday and nothing else would be thought of it. He didn't want to feel like he was going behind Jade's back, so if she asked he would tell her he just took Sarah out to lunch. Yes, he was going to visit Sarah today.

Tom got up from the couch and literally ran into the bathroom to shower. He turned on the water undressed himself and quickly washed. Once he dried off he wrapped a towel around his waist and began to shave. He hadn't seen Sarah in days and he wanted to look his best for her. With a clean shaved face he brushed his teeth and combed his hair, molding it to his liking with a little bit of gel. All the while he was getting ready he was wishing he really was a wizard for he couldn't get ready fast enough. He walked into his closet and picked out grey printed t-shirt, a black leather jacket and a pair of jeans and a pair of black converse.

After looking over his appearance for what seemed like the millionth time in the mirror Tom was in his car heading towards Sarah's flat.

**XXXX**

Tom paced outside her door for five minutes before getting up the courage to knock, he was so nervous to see her again and wanted to make sure his excuse to be on her door step was full proof. The door opened and there she was. All the excuses were wiped clean from his mind as he took in the sight of her. Her eyes were swollen and a little red. Had she been crying? She looked at him and smiled. It was the same smile she always gave every time she saw him so he knew that despite her melancholic appearance, she was genuinely happy to see him.

"Hey Thomas" She smiled with a little hint of pink rushing to her cheeks. "Not to sound rude or anything but what are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I would just stop by and see how you're doing?" he improvised even though it was half true he did want to know how she was.

"Come in." she said stepping aside so he could enter.

Tom observed her flat from where he stood. It was big but smaller than his condo. In the small hallway where he stood were a small room that held her washer and dryer a little ways down you entered into the kitchen and dining room area. On the right was the kitchen, it had nice black marble counter tops with a small island, stainless steel appliances and cherry wood cabinets. The other side of the kitchen held a breakfast bar set for three. To the left stood her kitchen table and a door leading to her room he guessed.

She led him into the living room. Tom noticed three steps separated the living room from the kitchen/ dining area. He followed Sarah to a huge sectional couch; two people could lay comfortably next to each other and still have enough room to move around.

Sarah motioned for him to sit down as she bent over to pick up a piece of paper off the floor placing it back into the envelope and set it on the coffee table. This went unnoticed by Tom. As she lay back on the couch she rubbed her eyes, her smile was gone. She seemed a little glum. There must have been some bad news on that paper.

"Are you okay?"he asked fighting every urge to comfort her. He wanted to wrap his arms around her body and just hold her.

" Yeah, why do ask?" she said turning to look at him.

"You seem a little sad." He looked at her and saw her eyes turn glossy. She was trying hard to hold back her emotions. Seeing the pain in her eyes made him hurt for her. He wanted to know why had got her down.

"I'm just a little home sick that's all, but it's nothing I can't handle." She laughed as her smile surfaced again. She blinked her eyes and all her hurt was gone. Like a switch she was back to being happy again but with a glimmer of hurt in her eyes. Tom was not falling for her sudden change of emotion be he would let it go for now.

"Come on" he said as he got up from the couch with much enthusiasm.

"What?"

"I'm going to help you not be homesick." Sarah stared at him like he was a crazy person but humored him with a response.

"How do you plan on doing that?" she said swiftly removing herself from the couch coming face to face with him. He had to admit she had a gorgeous look to her post cry.

"Well first I'll need you to get ready for a day out." Tom steered her in the direction of her bedroom.

"Tom really! It's okay I'll be fine. I-" She pleaded before being cut off

"No, now come on. I haven't got all day." He pushed her into her room and shut the door.

Tom couldn't help but smile at the fact that he was going to be the one to cheer her up. If she felt homesick he didn't want her to feel like she had to return to the states. He wanted to show her everything that London had to offer if it would keep her with him longer.

Tom looked a little more at her flat the walls were bare save for large picture of France placed above her couch. Beside two large French doors sat a bookshelf. The bookshelf held a couple of books, CDs, movies, small flower shaped tea candles, and a small ceramic elephant. Of all the things on the shelf he noticed there were no pictures. Not of family or friends.

* * *

><p>After being shoved into her room she decided it was best just to get ready. She didn't want to feel down the whole day and was glad that she was going to be spending the day with Tom even if he did think he was cheering her up for being homesick.<p>

Sure she should talk about what was going on but she wasn't one to burden other people with her troubles. There were only two people she could trust and they were both miles away. Sarah found that only friends could bring trouble and every time she found one they always proved to cause drama. Girls were deceiving, telling them personal things would only lead to disaster especially if it was something that was only meant to be kept between two people. Girls would go to extreme links to make other girls feel like they had to fear them. Sarah was done with that she trusted who she wanted to trust and there were very few people that had that trust.

She had no problem being friends with Tom for two valid reasons, one being that he didn't ask too many questions about her and another being that there was zero drama. Sarah had been through too much over the years and had finally come to point of peacefulness. She was happy where she was which is why she couldn't let her little crush become anything more. She was sure that someone else would come along and help her forget about being interested in a man who was taken.

Sarah quickly got ready for the day out not being sure on what to wear. She figured she would go by Tom's example of casual attire. She picked out grey washed skinny jeans a black off shoulder top that hugged her waist and fell a little loose on the top added with a tank top underneath and black flats with cute little bows on them. She fixed her hair in big loose curls bunched to the side in a side ponytail with her bangs falling to the side; she only put on a small amount of make-up on and was ready to go.

Stepping out of her room she saw Tom sit on the couch fiddling with his phone. Once he looks up he stands quickly and smiles at her. That smile always made her heart skip a beat.

"Are you ready to start our adventure?" He asks.

"Yep all ready. So what do you have planned?"

"Oh you know a little bit of this a little bit of that." He says not elaborating on what this or that is.

Sarah looks at him for a moment wondering what he was up to. She hadn't ever really spent much time with him outside his flat. It was going to be an interesting day. A day she could use to forget about everything else.

"Alright well I guess I'm yours for the day."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:Thanks for reading now please Review! Hopefully I will have time to put the next chapter up next week. I know this chapter was uneventful but the next should be to your liking I hope. Happy Reading unitl then!**


	11. Genuine and Unprepared

**Chapter 11: Genuine and Unprepared**

Sarah and Tom had decided on walking to their destination. Tom realized that she lived only a few blocks away from a park he used to go to when he was a young lad. He wanted to show her the part of London that wasn't bombarded by tourist but was filled with locals. For some reason he always felt the need to take her to places that provided memories close to his heart and there weren't too many places like that. As they walked the cobble sidewalk he couldn't help but glance at her on occasion. Her beauty was accentuated her facial features well. The fullness of her lips, the curve of her cheek bones, and the dazzle of her eyes mesmerized him to no extent. Why did she always have this effect on him? There was a slight breeze blowing in the opposite direction of the way they were walking making Sarah's hair waver in the wind as it passed all around them.

As they walked in silence Tom took this time to think things over. He had two very beautiful women in his life that he had immense feelings for. He loved one and was sure he was bound to love the other the stronger his feelings became. He had known Jade for a short time before they started dating and here they were three years later and still together. They had gone through many stages in life and she was always there for him. So why did he all of sudden go out on a whim and decide to take interest on someone he had only known for a few months. He hardly knew anything about the girl walking beside him. So why was he willing to risk all that he has known for this girl. He knew the answer but that would mean having to admit the flaws in his relationship with Jade. He was afraid that if he had examined his relationship with Jade he would find that he wasn't really happy. There were things he had over looked in his relationship and he didn't want those flaws to give him reason to go beyond being friends with Sarah. Jade was a good person but her demanding side always got the best of her. He realized that he did jump in head first into a relationship with Jade without really knowing who he was dealing with. But that didn't make him love her less did it?

"So Thomas we've been walking for awhile now, do you care to tell me where you're taking me?" Sarah asked.

"I'll tell you in due time. You have to have some patience which, by the way you seem to be lacking at the moment." He said playfully.

"I have patience!" She declared but added "well actually I guess I don't, I always like to be in the know about things. Especially if it includes people taking me places that I'm not aware of."

As they got closer to the park he brought her to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. He turned her to face him and pulled out a black scarf from his pocket which he had taken from her room before they left.

"So I see you're an actor turned thief now." She said giving him a smirk.

He laughed and said "I needed something to shield your eyes. Okay I'm going to cover your eyes for the remainder of our walk."

Tom pushed her hair behind her back sweeping his hand on her exposed shoulder. At the touch of his hand she shuddered. In that moment she looked up at him. If he had it his way he could look into her doe like eyes for hours on end and never be tired of it. Tom broke the spell she had over him and placed the black scarf over her eyes and tied it around her head taking care not to tie it too tight.

"You're not going to push me into on-coming traffic are you? She said with a smile.

"Only if you keep asking me where we are going." He said.

Sarah laughed with much sarcasm and said "Very funny."

* * *

><p>Tom tied the scarf around her eyes after she reassured him that she couldn't see a thing he took her arm and locked it around his. As he took the lead he always made sure she was aware of her surroundings so that if they were to take a step off the curb she wouldn't falter. They came to a stop sign at what she assumed was the crosswalk as she could hear the impending traffic. Sarah clutched to his arm tighter. He sensed her distress and leaned into her ear and whispered "We're almost there". It was seductive reassurance. The feel of his breathe on her ear sent a flutter to her belly. As traffic came to a halt they crossed the street with Sarah clinging to his arm.<p>

Sarah noticed the sounds of cars were becoming more distant as they kept walking. The surface underneath her shoes turned to smooth pavement instead of the usual rockiness of the sidewalk. Her sense of smell kicked in as they walked closer to their destination as she could smell various different foods but couldn't quite place what foods she smelled. She could now hear various people talking and laughing, and screaming in every direction causing her to become slightly alarmed.

Just as she was on the verge of taking the scarf off he let go of her arm and did it for her. What she saw before her was the last place she thought he would bring her but she couldn't have been more excited. She was pretty sure she was smiling around like an idiot. She looked over at Tom and he looked just as excited as she was.

"You brought me to a fair?" She asked

"Yeah well I thought I would show you the things that not many people care to stop and experience-tourist wise if you know what I mean."

Sarah jumped up and down like a little kid which surprised the both of them. She composed herself but still kept her smile. She cleared her throat and looked at him as he laughed at her sudden outburst.

He took her hand in his which surprised him the most as Sarah appeared to be oblivious to his action but kept her hand in his and said "Let's go have some fun shall we?"

The smell of fried foods and cotton candy reminded her of home and for a moment she did feel a little homesick. Sarah pushed that thought away from her mind the moment she thought of it. Tom had done such a nice and surprising thing for her and she was not going to ruin it. All around her were several fair rides, game booths, food vendors, and people. Everyone looked so happy together as if there wasn't a care in the world.

As they walked through the crowds of people Tom let go of her hand it was then that she had noticed an absence. Was she that comfortable with him holding her hand that she didn't even notice until it was gone? Why did her hand feel so cold without his? She would have to mull over this later.

Sarah noticed they had stopped in front of a ticket booth. She hoped she wouldn't have to ride any roller coasters for they were the one thing she hated at fairs. Sure they weren't the kind you would find at Disneyland but still she hated them, the results were never good once she got off the ride. Tom paid for the tickets and brought more than enough for the day.

"So what would you like to do first? Play games? Ride on the Kamikaze?

"Let's take a walk around and then we'll decide I want to see everything they have here."

Tom agreed and tucked the tickets on the inside of his jacket. They walked through the park looking at various vendors of food and crafts. The park was rather big to hold such an event. The trees were high and beginning to welcome the autumn season as well as the grass they walked on. Sarah noticed that several people often looked their way but she was sure they weren't really looking at her but the fellow that was by her side. She didn't know how he dealt with people gawking at him all the time and pointing. She knew he didn't take his fame for granted but always wondered how he dealt with it.

"How do you do it?" she asked him.

"Pardon?" he asked confused.

"Sorry, I mean how do you deal with being at the center of everyone's attention? Having people always spot you in a line up?" she didn't look at him as she said this but simply walked to a nearby vendor and looked at the handmade accessories.

"I'm not quite sure really, there are a lot of people out there that have helped me get to where I am whether by watching the films I'm in or being part of the production team so I guess I just feel comfortable giving my time to those who have taken the time to support me. My mother always taught me not to take things for granted and I don't."

He truly was a great guy. The fact that he never let his fame get the best of him made her smile at how he was so gracious of others especially his fans. She liked that about him. Sarah turned to Tom, smiled and said "Well your fan club would like your undivided attention for the moment."

As Tom turned in the direction she was pointing he saw a horde of girls running straight towards him. He gave Sarah a look of sorry as the girls got closer.

She gave him a nod in understanding and said "It's okay I can wait." She gave him a push in the direction of the group "Go I'll be right here I don't mind."

"Are you sure? I'm sure they won't mind if I politely ask them to wait awhile."

She went back to looking at the other crafts laid out on the table and waved him away."Go."

* * *

><p>As he stood in the middle of the park signing autographs on shirts, tickets and babies foreheads (Well not really but he did sign a baby bottle once)as well as taking pictures he couldn't help but look in her direction. Every once in a while he would see her having conversations with the vendors, or catch her looking in his direction and giving him a warm smile.<p>

After the crowd died down and he signed his last few autographs, he went to the vendors' alley to look for Sarah. He walked up and down the alley and didn't come across her anywhere. Where was she? Tom ventured out into the fairgrounds scanning the many faces that passed him. He was almost in a panic when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and there she was holding a plate of funnel cake which was almost already gone.

"Where did you get that from?" Tom asked.

"Funnel cake truck." Tom arched his eyebrow and she shrugged and said "What? I was hungry."

Tom took a piece of funnel cake and popped it into his mouth all the while getting a spot of powdered sugar on his chin. Sarah gave a small laugh; while Tom looked at her quizzically she took her thumb and wiped it off with a gentle touch. Her hand lingered on the side of his face for a moment, a moment that wasn't long enough in his opinion before she took it back.

She shied away but still met his eyes. "There was powdered sugar on your chin." She said looking at the ground embarrassed at the intimate gesture she had just given him. Tom smiled and decided to shrug it off. He took her by the elbow and led her into the direction of the food trailers.

"Come on let's get you some real food."

Sarah finished the rest of her funnel cake and threw the plate away in a nearby trash can. She followed Tom to a concession trailer shaped like a trolley. Tom hoped she was enjoying the day even though they haven't done much yet but surely that was to change once they had eaten. Today was the day he was going to get her to talk. He needed to know more about her. Would knowing more about her make things easier or harder to deal with? Was he going to just decide that he wanted her and not Jade just like that? He knew that the decision would be hard or did he even have to make a decision? Tom came back from his thoughts the moment Sarah spoke to him.

"Meat on a stick." said Sarah

"Yes. Don't you like meat?" Tom gave her a baffled look.

"I like meat sans the stick."

Well you don't eat the stick."

I know that." she said rolling her eyes at the obvious.

"Do you want something else?"

"Nope, I was just simply stating that this is a meat stick stand." Sarah looked at the sign in the window and read aloud _"Get a hold of this meat! Forget knives and forks handle this pork with the grip of your hand. Forget the mess and open your mouth and bite down on this savory meat…on a stick!"_

Sarah laughed heartily at the sign and snorted Tom laughed along with her. They got to the window still laughing at the signs unintended subliminal message. Both Tom and Sarah quickly tried to pull themselves together but their immaturity got the best of them and they continued to laugh as they ordered their "meat sticks".

They retreated to a nearby picnic table under a large oak tree. Neither of them spoke as they ate. They were enjoying each other's company without words. To Tom it felt like they didn't need to say a word to each other to feel comfortable. There were no awkward things being said or nervous laughter. They shared a comfortable silence. As Tom thought about their silence she smiled at him and looked away. Before they had eaten she had tied her hair up into a ponytail on the back of her head instead of to the side like she had before. Her hair was now just a dark brown color minus the burgundy streaks. He could see a clear view of her tattoo just behind her ear that went a little ways down the side of her slender neck. He remembered how he gently touched the tattoo and felt the soft texture of her skin. He wished he could feel her once again, that opportunity presented itself to him on a silver platter.

Sarah turned to look at him when he noticed she had a little bit of sauce at the corner of her mouth.

"You have a little bit of sauce right here." He said pointing to the corner of his own mouth but a little higher so she would miss it on her own mouth. When she missed it he took the opportunity to reach over to her face and wipe the corner of her mouth. In the same treatment as she did earlier. He cupped her jaw and brushed his thumb on the corner of her mouth. He saw her lips part just as he touched her face. He felt the urge to run his thumb across her lips. Things were getting real, his urge was going to come to light if he didn't let go of her soon. He reluctantly brought his hand down but kept his gaze on her. It was softer than he rememebered.

Tom observed her face from the arch of her eyebrow, down to her long lashes and penetrating eyes, to the smooth slant of her nose and the fullness of her lips. She was staring at him dead on and he didn't care.

* * *

><p>Sarah was at a loss for words at the touch of his hand. The warm hand that more or less caressed her face sent shock waves through her body. She felt a small flutter of butterflies in the pit of her stomach. The sudden act was more than she could handle but a feeling she never wanted to end. What was he thinking doing something like this? It was wrong but it felt right. These types of gestures were making her confused.<p>

He put his hand down and continued to stare at her for what seemed like a very long time. They had gone down this road before. They had done this before. This time it seemed more intense as they observed one another. Sarah broke her gaze and looked into a different direction opting to look at the fair rides and the people on them. She was vigilantly aware that he was still looking at her.

She was going to question him about his actions but decided better on it. He was merely wiping sauce from her mouth to save her from embarrassment and that was it. The constant staring never happened. Sarah got up from the table and threw her stick now sans meat into the trash then proceeded to walk back to the fairgrounds. Half way there she turned to him and waved him over and said "Come on."

When he was up to speed with her they went and walked along the game booths. There were the usual fair games such as, Rope Ladder, High Striker (hit the pad with a mallet and ring the bell) Shoot the star, Flukey ball, One ball, etc. Sarah observed the stuffed animals hanging around each booth they passed not really noticing that Tom had stopped walking beside her and began to play One ball. As she walked up to him she caught the jest of what the game was about and of course anyone looking at three metal milk bottles stacked into a pyramid and only one ball to throw could see what it was about.

Tom stepped back and threw the ball right into the middle of the stack of bottles only knocking two over with one still standing. The carnie noticed Sarah and gave a little wink to her that went unnoticed by Tom.

"How would you like to have a free game on me? Said the Carnie "You knock all those bottles down and I'll give you whatever prize you desire. I can be your prize if you want."

Sarah thought to herself why me? She laughed and told the man no thank you and walked to a different game leaving Tom with the overweight balding Carnie. She sat at a water derby game with two other people and paid the man for the next game. Before she knew it Tom came and sat next to her and paid for his game.

Was he an asshole or a jerk face?" Tom gave her a sly smile knocking his shoulder into hers.

"Neither. He was dismal." She said with a laugh. Just then the carnie announced the start of the game. Sarah and Tom set their hands on both handles placing their thumbs on the triggers. Sarah turned to Tom and said "Ready to eat my dust, Thomas?"

Tom didn't respond but gave her a smirk. When the countdown reached three and the bells rang they both pulled the triggers hitting the target in the bulls eye, constantly looking up at which duck on the board was making way. Tom's blue duck was just a foot away from the finish line when Sarah took her hand and pushed his shoulder causing him to lose his target and spray water in a different direction. Sarah's purple duck surpassed Tom's for a moment when he in return pushed her. Both were unaware that they were not the only ones playing the game until the winners bell rang and a green duck quacked into the finish line. Tom and Sarah called shenanigans and left the table laughing at their competitiveness. They continued to play games as day became night deciding on finally using their tickets for the rides.

Sarah was glad that the awkwardness from early was gone away. She liked Tom. He wasn't like other guys and this day was a sure sign that he wasn't. He made her laugh and didn't once try to bring her down. He was attentive to her and included her in everything. If she wasn't aware that he was with Jade, and was someone on the outside looking in she would've assumed her and Tom were together. Sarah tried to stay away from thoughts like that. He was with Jade and they made a perfect couple. She was glad to be out with him even if they were just friends.

* * *

><p>The haze of the sky bled into a dark orange hue blending into a scarcely light shade of white clouds and an almost night sky. Sarah found herself in line for a ride called Fire Ball. While Tom was all hyped up about it she was nervous as hell. She was sure her lunch was going to come up by the end of the ride or perhaps while she was submitted into the sky looking down. Sarah wasn't into rides that thrashed her around in high altitudes. She was more of a Ferris wheel kind of girl. She never knew how he got her to agree to go on the ride but he did.<p>

As they stood in line for the ride Tom noticed Sarah staring at the ride watching as it came down to a halt. She closed her eyes and let out a breath. Standing side by side as it was there turn to take their seats on the Fire Ball Tom took Sarah's hand in his and walked her toward their seats. She turned to look at him with a slight unease and held his hand tighter. Tom rubbed his thumb on the top of her hand.

"We don't have to ride this." He said in a low voice.

Shaking her head Sarah said "No, I can ride this." She wasn't even sure it was her that said it.

Sarah stood in front of her seat wondering how she was going to get on the seat. She prayed that she would be too short to ride the ride. Her prayer was smashed to bits when Tom put his hands on her waste and like nothing picked her up and gently placed her in the seat. When everyone was seated the safety bar came down and locked into place. Sarah was glad that it came down like a vest which reassured her she wouldn't fall out of her seat.

A new song played on the rides speakers, as the ride began to slowly spin in a circle, Sarah closed her eyes and hoped that it would end as soon as it started. Tom reached for her hand again sensing her uneasiness.

"It's okay" he said

Sarah felt the rise of the ride descend upon the now dark sky. They were spinning at a moderate speed the arm of the ride began to tilt to the side, slow. She could feel her weight press against the vest which was sure to leave her arms sore the next day. The spin was causing her stomach to dither. She held Tom's hand tighter as the arm extended to its full height. Sarah closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the height of the impending fall. Tom rubbed his thumb on the top of her hand, which oddly enough started to calm her down.

"Just close your eyes and fall with it." The voice was so soft that she just barely heard the words.

Soon enough the arm fell to the side and the tickle in the pit of her belly became intense. Sarah was on the verge of tears wanting the ride to stop as soon as possible. Her body was tensing and she decided to take Tom's advice. She kept her eyes closed, slowed her breathing, and relaxed her body. As the ride did its drops and spinning Sarah soon fell into the blissfulness of being in the air and feeling weightless. She opened her eyes and saw a blur of multi color lights pass by. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Tom felt her hand loosen its hold on his. He looked at her and saw that her eyes were open and she was jovial. Her smile was so inviting, that he could feel the happiness she was emitting in the pit of his stomach it was a feeling he never wanted to go away. The ride slowed and retracted to its starting position and came to a stop. Tom jumped out of his seat and helped Sarah get off hers. The Fire Ball left Sarah with an adrenaline rush that made them ride several other fair rides. Anything that Sarah wanted to do he was happy to oblige, he was going to make it his priority to make sure she was always up in spirits, he never wanted to see her as sad as she was earlier in the day.

After they had used up most of their tickets Tom and Sarah walked around the rest of the fairgrounds eating cotton candy both decided they would wait to ride the Ferris wheel before they left. They rounded the corner of the last game booth and found themselves in a tent filled with photo booths. Sarah walked ahead of Tom and led them to the nearest one.

"Let's end the night with a picture."

Tom looked in the small photo booth and said "How are we going to fit in there. I'm twice the size you are."

Moving the curtain to the side Sarah examined the diameter of the booth and he was right. Without thinking it through Tom decided that he would sit on the stool and she across his lap.

Tom sat down on the stool and Sarah came and sat on his lap with her legs hanging off the side of him. She placed her arm across his shoulder to help balance herself. Being this close to his face she could smell his aftershave causing a slight pull in her belly. They looked at each other face to face not believing they were this close to each other. Tom inserted the money into the booth and they began striking there poses, sticking out tongues, and simply smiling. Each photo was taken with a countdown of six seconds in between. During six seconds of the third photo Sarah tried to quickly adjust herself for the picture which was to be nothing special. During her adjustment she accidentally whacked Tom in the face with her elbow while fixing her hair.

"I'm Sorry!" She said letting her hair fall down her back

"It's okay. It didn't hurt." Tom said as he rubbed his forehead.

Sarah began to laugh because she didn't know how she had hit him.

"So my pain is funny to you?" he said feigning a pout but began to laugh too."Did you just snort?"

A light flashed signaling that the picture had been taken. Sarah who was still laughing looked down at Tom.

"I'm sorry Thomas. Here let me have a looksie." Sarah placed both hands on the sides of his face. She looked at his fore head which was a little red. Little did she know what she was doing to him; because in that moment as she held his face in her small soft hands Tom felt an immense tug towards her that couldn't be denied any longer; while he felt this she in that moment looked into his eyes studying the irises. Ocean blue eyes stared right into her soul. How could eyes such as these make her feel so comfortable yet scared at the same time? Why can't she look away? Sarah's left hand went back around his shoulder while her other hand stayed on his face. The pull they felt was strong, almost magnetic…coming closer…never loosing eye contact…closer…

* * *

><p>Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Be kind and Review. Thanks! come on hit the review button.<p> 


	12. Everlong

**Chapter title taken from the song Everlong by Foo Fighters**

**Chapter 12:** **Everlong**

* * *

><p>Her eyes were piercing into him, every single feeling he had hidden in the depths of his soul were coming undone. Tom's hand took hold of her thigh and his other arm wrapped around her resting his hand on her back bringing her in closer. Both leaned into each other just inches away with the need for enclosure hanging thick in the air. Bracing themselves for what was to come, their eyes closed just a fraction. Coming closer…<p>

Flash

The photo booth flash broke their trance and all was lost. Their emotions retreated back into their cages and left them in an awkward position. Sarah quickly got off his lap and headed out of the booth leaving Tom alone. Tom leaned his head back in frustration and looked at the little ceiling. They were so close! So close that he could taste the cotton candy that lingered on her breath. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would taste sweet without it. All day they had been playing with fire always finding any excuse to touch so why couldn't he just have that one kiss? Just that one taste.

Tom sat in the booth for many long minutes contemplating his next move. He would have to go find her but what was he going to do when he did? Say 'sorry I tried to kiss you I hope things don't become weird'? Although he knew she would ignore the situation as much as possible he wanted to know where they stood. Even though they hadn't kissed he was sure they were beyond the whole work professionalism thing. They were in the grey area of being friends and maybe something more. Tom mentally kicked himself for thinking these things. Jade had been calling him all day. Her concern for him was overpowering and it made him feel terrible for his actions. He was here with someone else while Jade was home waiting for him. Tom let out a sigh of desperation. He was in the wrong and he knew it.

Tom vacated the blasted photo booth only to find Sarah leaning against it. She looked pristine as ever like he had predicted she would be; she held the strip of pictures in her hand, and put them in her bag. Tom was thankful that she did because looking at them would mean he had come close to betraying Jade's trust.

* * *

><p>Sarah didn't know what to think about their close call. All though there was no denying that it would have been a nice kiss she was sure she would have felt contrite about it. She wasn't that type of girl to just go and kiss some guy but the thing was he wasn't just some guy. Despite her working for him he was her friend her only friend for that fact. She couldn't have a thing such as a kiss hanging over their heads every time they saw each other. She knew that every time she spoke to Jade she would feel remorse for her actions.<p>

Thinking now would be the right time to go back home she began walking through the park which was now ablaze with multi color lights but being as late as it was the park had become almost abandoned. Had they really been here all day? As she walked under a light post the bulb went out with a spark. She thought about the pictures they had taken and turned around and made her way back to the tent. She didn't want to risk anyone getting a hold of them and selling them to tabloids. She would feel responsible if a thing like that happened. After all she wanted to take the damn pictures!

She came to the entrance of the tent and walked in. As she came closer to the photo booth she saw that he was still in there. She was going to grab the pictures and leave but decided on staying. Her neighborhood was nice during the day but she wasn't so sure about the night. The pictures were still there in the photo holder. Sarah took a look at the fully developed photo strip. She looked at the first two pictures and smiled at their inane expressions. Her eyes lingered on the two photos before she willed herself to look at the last two. The last two photographs were proof of what had almost happened. A pure indication of something illicit. The laughter picture could be depicted at them simply laughing enjoying a good joke but really only they would know what had led to that moment and the moment after. Just as she thought it would look their last photo gave an impression of an intimate moment put on pause as if both participants were waiting for someone to play the scene. Sarah wondered what that kiss would have been like. From the look of his lips she was sure they were soft like rose petals. What was he doing to her? He was with Jade! Sarah thought' what was she thinking trying to initiate a kiss from him! He was strictly off limits!

As he came out of his stupor, Tom stepped out of the booth and looked over at Sarah as she tucked the pictures in her bag. The look on his face was something of indifference. Was he angry with her? He probably should be she didn't really have to touch his face like that she should've had more common sense. The tingle on her hands was imperative as she thought of the flesh memory but she ignored it, determined to think of it as trivial matter.

"Ferris wheel." He said.

The way Sarah heard it, it sounded more like a command than a request. Whither it was either/or she nodded her head. He walked ahead of her, his legs taking long strides that she practically had to jog to keep up with him. Why was he acting like a jerk?

"Slow down Thomas it's not a race." She said as she caught up to him.

The line for the Ferris wheel had come down to only a few people. They stood in line and he still said nothing to her. Once they got up to the ticket taker Tom whispered something to the man and followed Sarah into the circular Ferris car. They both sat on opposite sides facing each other with Sarah trying to look at anything else but him. Tom did the same as well opting to look out at the open park. They had gone around a few times still not looking or talking to each other. They came to a stop at the highest point of the Ferris wheel giving Sarah the full view of London as far as she could see twinkling lights were ablaze in every direction. The night had become cold making Sarah rub her arms for warmth. Tom took off his jacket and handed it to her.

"Thanks."

She put the jacket over the front portion of her body and held on to it from the inside. She could smell his intoxicating scent coming off his jacket which made her want to smile with glee but held back. She looked over to Tom who was now looking at the floor of the car seeming to be deep in thought. Sarah decided to ignore the fact that he was not speaking to her and looked out at the starlit sky above them.

"Why don't you talk about yourself? He asked warily.

Sarah looked to the ground as if the answer was hidden beneath her shoes.

"There isn't much to talk about." She said shrugging her shoulders

"Doesn't it bother you that you don't have any family or friends around?"

She frowned at his words and began to observe her nails. "I always thought you were my friend" she mumbled.

It pained him to agree that he was her friend when he wanted to be so much more. Being so much more was impossible. If he was to be close to her as a friend then he would, but even that didn't sound like a good idea.

"I am your friend. I've always said I was."He choked out. "But friends are supposed to be able to tell each other things. I've told you loads about me but have heard nothing about you." Tom threw his hands up and said "You could probably go to the tabs with all the things that I've told you."

"I can't you made me sign a confidentiality contract. Although I'm sure the Sun would like hear about you're late nights at the nail salon I can a sure you that I won't spill the beans." She quipped.

"Well I actually wouldn't mind if you told them about that. My fan base could only get bigger from there." He joked

"Yep, and your ego is already big enough as it is."

Tom and Sarah laughed at their little banter. Her laughter was carefree and lively. The rise and fall of her shoulders, the length of her smile, the brightness of her teeth, the way she scrunched up her nose and threw her head back was compelling. Another of his favorite things about her laughter were the cute barley there dimples that showed just below the apples of her cheeks when she tried to stifle a laugh. Those were just a few of the things that he found attractive about her. It was a laugh he wanted to memorize.

When her laughter subsided Sarah turned to Tom and said "Well I guess it's true that we as friends should have some trust with each other but I don't think I'm ready to go deep into the abyss that is my life. So let's just talk about little stuff.

Tom nodded his head and said "Okay Sarah I'll take that." He tapped his finger on his chin as if in thought and asked "What's your favorite color?"

"Whoa your getting straight to the point aren't you? I can just feel myself coming straight out of my shell."

"Okay smarty, just answer the question."

Sarah gave him a smile and said "Purple." She paused. "Well different kinds of purples I guess, like mauve, mulberry, royal and eggplant. It depends on how I feel. You know if we're going to continue this we mind as well finish our game from went we first met.

"You're on. What number was that?"

Sarah thought for a moment. "I'd say we're at two to three."

"How do you suppose that is?"

"If my memory serves me correct I asked you how long you were with Jade, and if you were going to marry her. Then you asked how old I was, what kind of tattoo I had and the favorite color thing. Although I don't think we should count the tattoo one because you were just being observant. So I guess its two to two.

"Only 18 questions each."

"Yep, and now it's my turn." Tom watched her move his jacket up over her bare shoulder to keep it from the cold. That jacket was one lucky bastard.

"Did you listen to that mix I gave you for your birthday?" she asked curiously.

"Yes I did I found it quite intriguing actually." What he really wanted to say was _'yes and when I listen to it I think about you… which by the way is on a daily basis.' _Tom continued with "I really like it.

"Really?" Sarah said with much enthusiasm "I didn't know if it would be your cup of tea."

"Honestly I really did like it." Tom dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone. "Just give me a minute."

Tom stretched out his arm with his phone in hand as Sarah leaned in to listen closely. Words spilled from his phone as they listened together.

_Hello, I've waited here for you…Everlong.  
>Tonight, I've thrown myself into…<em>

"This song is one of my favorites." said Sarah. "Have you heard them before?"

"It's one of my favorites too but no I had never heard of this particular band until I got your mix."

Sarah began to bob her head a little to the song getting entranced into the music at the palm of his hand.

"_If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever feel this good again"_  
>"If everything could ever feel this real forever, if anything could ever feel this good again"<p>

The soft melody he heard months ago echoed in his ears, greeting his channel like an old friend. The song was fast but she had her own swing on it keeping up with the beat with her sweet harmonic tone.

"_You've got to promise not to stop when I say when…she sang_."  
>"You've got to promise not to stop when I say when…she sang."<p>

Sarah let out a laugh slightly embarrassed for getting carried away by the music when she noticed Tom staring at her intently. What happened next took her by surprise as he placed his free hand on the side of her face cupping her jaw. Bringing her in close he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

* * *

><p>Pacing in the bedroom of her friends home she redialed the number again. Where was he? He assured her he would be home when she got off work. Jade got to his flat and knocked on the door numerous times waiting for him to answer but he never did. She needed to get a key. That was four hours ago. It was now pushing 10:30 pm and here she was calling him non-stop like some clingy paranoid girlfriend.<p>

Veronica walked back into the room and watched her friend walk back and forth between the four post bed and her dresser. Jade collapsed onto the bed with her phone at her ear. This time it went straight to voicemail. She felt the bed sink in at her side as her friend lay next to her. Together they stared up at their reflection in the flat top mirror above them set in the middle of the mahogany four poster bed.

"Still can't get a hold of him?" said Veronica arching her eyebrow with suspicion looking.

Jade shook her head "no".

Looking at her friends' reflection in the mirror she knew the words that were going to come out her mouth. Before her friend could speak her mind she said spoke first.

"He's not with her. He's probably just out with the boys." She wanted to believe her own words but she knew that even if he was with his brothers he would never ignore her calls.

"Alright, if that's what you want to believe." Veronica said with a smirk."I told you how she was looking at him at his birthday party. She would have pounced on him if I hadn't intervened like I had."

Veronica had told Jade about that fateful night when she had come in contact with the ballsy assistant albeit leaving out a few details of that night and incorporating her own details.

"I still think you went too far with slapping her in the face." Said Jade "Thank you for giving her that warning though I don't think I could have done it the way you had.

"Well I do try." Veronica replied with a cocky look on her face examining her nails."Although I don't mind being a tyrant I do hope that our little conversation sunk in with the girl. That twat does have a mouth on her."

Jade wasn't sure of that since Sarah had only spoken to her in a business type manner but let out a laugh anyway.

Jade was certain that things with her and Tom would blow by and soon they would be back to normal and that this little thing was just a crush. He was testing the water making sure it was right for him and when he found out that it wasn't to his liking he would come back to her. It was only fair that she let him have this one chance right? Well it would be fair if Jade was the kind of person that played fair. She would do everything in her power to make sure that he didn't bite into the forbidden fruit. Even if that meant she would have to go as low as threatening Sarah herself. Although she still had yet to find out for herself if Tom and Sarah were even friends. She had never once heard Tom mention Sarah in a way that would cause her to be alarmed but actions speak louder than words. She needed to see how they interacted with each other.

Tom's demeanor had become different than what she was used to. Thoughts of the last few days came to mind. Jade had done everything she could to ease the thoughts that had burrowed into her mind by being attentive to him. The love was there but she still felt he was off in a different place. Like his intellect was filled with thoughts of _her_. Every stroke of his hands on her body gave the feeling that they weren't meant for her but she savored it anyway. His loyalties lie with her and she would fight dirty if she had too. Feeling pent up tension throughout her body she wanted to relax but the comfort of the bed just wasn't doing it. On the nights she felt like this it was usually Tom that would relieve that stress but he was nowhere to be found. She was aware she would be treading dangerous waters and feel remorse come morning but this itch was setting her on edge.

"Hello! Earth to Jady!."

"Sorry I was thinking—"

"About him fucking that slag?"

"No! But thanks for the image!" Jade said with irritation. Veronica could be a good friend sometimes but other times she just didn't know when to shut her mouth." I was thinking that we should go out tonight."

Veronica turned to face Jade with a glint in her eyes and said "Right I get it you want to get back at him for being out with her don't you?"

Jade got up from the bed and walked over to a full length mirror checking her outfit to make sure it was club ready.

"Verde he's not out with her. But I could use something or someone to set my nerves right." She said with a wily grin.

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><p>It was quick. Almost too quick.<p>

Sarah pulled away from him much too soon to his liking. Her brain felt fuzzy like all her blood rushed to her head. All she could do is stare back at him. Her lips were pulsing from the sweet graze of his lips. She didn't taste him but the sting was fresh on her lips like mint.

Tom's tongue grazed his lips searching of something to relish but nothing it was too quick. It was a mere peck but a kiss none the less. His lips on hers. His mouth burned like a flame and needed cooling.

She looked over the car and still no ride jock. Where the hell was he? She swore if she had to she would jump from the Ferris wheel. She would do anything to get away from the mess that was about to unfold at that moment. Still looking over the car she contemplated if she could land safely in a nearby shrub.

"Sarah… I don't know what…I'm sorry." Tom said breaking Sarah's thoughts of a risky jump.

"Thomas…I'm not that…I don't mess around with my boss or men who are relationships-"

"I know that." He interrupted. "I don't want you to think I'm being promiscuous that's not who I am either-"

"What do want me to think?"

Tom gave a frustrated sigh running his hands through his hair.

"I don't know…but I think"

_Please don't say what I think you're going to say._

"I think I have feelings for you."

Sarah stared at him awestruck. They both felt the jerk of the Ferris wheel as it moved them to the ground. Once on the ground Sarah dropped his jacket and hurriedly jumped out of the car and ran from him. She apparently wasn't running fast enough because he caught up to her quick. Damn flats. He pulled on her arm turning her around.

"We should talk about this." He said through breathes.

"What is there to talk about just because you have feelings for me doesn't mean I have to reciprocate them. We're just friends and you're my boss. Nothing's going to happen!"

Tom loosened his grip on her arm and watched as she began to walk away. He screwed it up! The kiss caught him off guard too. She needed to know how he felt about her. She needed to know that he thought of her as more than a friend. Now she did. But how did she feel about him? While she didn't exactly put effort in the kiss there was something there. Tom was confused. Didn't she already say how she felt about him? How could he expect her to feel that way about him anyway? He was in love with Jade. Wasn't he?

Tom ran back for his jacket and ran towards the direction Sarah had walked in. She was a good distance away from where he followed. He decided on letting her have her space walking only a few feet behind her. When they descended upon her complex she simply walked through the doors and up to her flat. Tom waited outside for a few minutes contemplating on going up to talk to her or leaving instead. Deciding on the latter he got in his car inviting the last hour of the night to replay in his head on the drive home.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry so late! Hope you've enjoyed.**


	13. Fan Mail

**Chapter 13: Fan Mail**

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><p>The week wore on with nothing but scenes from Wednesday night playing in Sarah's head. No matter how she replayed it, she would always go back to that little kiss. What was he thinking? That day started out with a bad letter and ended with a peck that would complicate everything. Sarah lay awake in the early hours of Monday morning wondering what she was going to do. What would she say when she came face to face with him. Sarah lay in bed for hours waiting for sleep to come but it never did. She was just too wrapped up in her thoughts and the itch in her throat wasn't helping either.<p>

Getting out of the warmth of her bed Sarah placed her feet on the cold wood floor and walked into her kitchen to make a cup of tea to soothe her irritated throat. While she placed the kettle on the stove she hopped on top of the counter and waited for the water to heat.

She had tried hard not to think about that night. Whether she wanted to or not the memories would always creep up on her. She even had dreams about it. But in her dreams it was never just a kiss it was more than that. It was his hands on her caressing her skin, and his lips trailing kiss on every inch of her body. Every night the dreams became more erotic but they always ended the same way; with Jade bursting in the room on a rampage of how they had both betrayed her. Sarah would say that the guilt was weighing heavy on her. Although she could hold her own she didn't want that kind of confrontation. But really what guilt was there? She didn't take part in the kiss that was all on him. Or so she thought, it was in the back of her head that she wanted it, she wanted that kiss that was supposed to happen in the photo booth. The one thing she couldn't wrap her head around was if she wanted it so badly then why did she push him away?

Before Sarah could reflect further on the subject the sound of the tea kettle broke her away. Turning off the burner she pulled an oversized tea cup from the cupboard and began to make her tea adding a tea bag, a little bit of honey, and three drops of lemon. She took her tea to the table and mindlessly began to swirl the tea bag around in her cup just watching the brown dilute the clear water. The itch in her throat began to amplify, as her senses inhaled the steam from the cup. Bringing the cup to her lips the tea course through her throat soothing the uncomfortable ache, that's when she noticed it.

Purple.

The cup she held in her hands was purple. That one question that started it all well not exactly, other things had led to that little kiss but she was pretty sure that one inquiry and that stupid game started the chain reaction of questions that led to a certain someone's lips on hers.

On the night of said kiss she came up to her flat without uttering a word to him. Taking one step at a time she thought of how everything was going to change. That awkwardness would consume them both; she didn't want that to happen. She loved her job working for him was really the best thing that could have happened to her. He treated her as his equal, and now, well, now he would probably have to fire her before the tension built up between them. Then what was she going to do? She didn't want to go back home.

After she had come up to her apartment she peered out her window and saw him pacing the sidewalk, going up the stone steps and coming back down. She sat on her patio in total darkness just watching him wondering what was going through his head. Guilt settled in her stomach as Jade invaded her thoughts, Tom would tell her and when he did shit was sure to hit the fan. Little kiss or not there was so much more to think about.

'_I think I have feelings for you'_

Those words made her head hurt, but at the same time her stomach felt like there were a million monarchs causing a ruckus deep inside the pit of her belly with the flutter of their wings. She didn't know whether what he said was sincere or if it was simply a cover up for his experimental kiss. Whatever it was she knew things shouldn't be taken lightly. Sarah wouldn't play this game with him. She knew what it was like to have the one she loved falling in love with another woman. Although she barely knew Jade, Sarah couldn't break that unspoken trust.

After drinking the rest of her tea, Sarah rinsed out her cup and set it down in the dishwasher. She turned out the lights and slowly made her way back to her room and into bed. Before sleep over took her she decided she was no longer going to fret over such events anymore she would rather have him in her life as a friend than to end up without him due to his so called feelings for her. She vowed to let him know where she stood in this frenzy. For now she would sleep and in a couple of hours she would see him again.

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><p>Tom paced around his room waiting for Sarah to show up. It was rounding on eleven-thirty and she still had yet to show up or call. He wanted to see her badly since that night. He even went as far as driving to her flat twice in one day only to turn around and come back home. The day after their outing Jade had pinned him with a number of questions about where he had been. While he said he would be honest with her and he was, he said he had been out having lunch with a friend going to a fun fair which surprisingly ended their conversation at that. He was so wrapped up in the events with Sarah that he hadn't noticed that Jade hadn't called him since then.<p>

For the past few days he had thought about what he would say to Sarah when he saw her. Tom opted on apologizing to her for his crass move. Although he felt it wasn't worth apologizing for because that kiss was most certainly something he wanted to do. He wanted to kiss her again but this time instead of some measly little peck he would make it a full on kiss. It would be a kiss that went straight to the soul and ignited fire in their hearts. Yes, that was what he was planning on doing. Well he had hoped on it but things weren't that simple and he had to come to terms with that. Nothing about their situation was simple. He liked her more than a friend but he was also with and in love with Jade. He knew the pick was easy but he couldn't help that deep down an unforeseen emotion for Sarah existed. You couldn't be in love with two people at the same time could you?

Tom's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the ring to his phone go off. It was her ringtone. Tom tapped on the screen to view the text that read:

_**'Over slept, be there soon.'**_

It was short but all he needed to know, at about an hour after she had sent the text she finally graced him with her presence. Tom quickly sat on the couch and began to look through the magazine on the coffee table. When he heard her step into the foyer and close the door he broke away from his sham reading and looked over his shoulder. She wore a grey French hoodie, with a plain white tee and jeans. She looked stunning with a simple pony tail and no makeup on. Although upon his observation he noted she looked a little ashen compared to her usual honey glow.

"Good Morning" He said getting up from the couch. "Or rather good afternoon." He smiled.

Tom's face fell to a look of concern as she cleared her throat and spoke.

"I'm sorry I was late. I couldn't sleep last night and—

"Are you okay? You look a little pale." he asked coming a little closer to her. The sound of her voice was a little low and raspy.

"Yes, I'm fine" she answered quickly. She raised a green duffle bag and said "I picked up your fan mail so I'm just going to sort that out in the dining room. Let me know if you need anything."

Before he could say anymore to her she was already in the other room. Tom stood in the foyer contemplating on whether he should go in there and talk to her or just simply go about his day. No, he needed to talk to her now. Tom made way towards the dining room, pushing the swinging door slowly he saw that she was sitting at the end of the table facing the door but was too busy to notice that he was looking at her.

He studied her incessantly watching her movements as she swept her bangs to the side to keep them out of her line of sight. Every few seconds she would lick her lips or let out yawn. All her concentration was on sorting out fan mail, watching her do this made her seem as if she didn't have a care in the world which was one of things he liked about her. She could make doing the simplest things seem exceptional without little effort. As she flipped through the stacks of mail she was whispering in a sing song voice but he could hardly make out the words she was humming.

Tom decided to make his presence known and walked into the room and waved at her as she looked up. She put her music on pause and gave him a half smile.

"Did you need something?" she asked as Tom came to sit adjacent to her on the other side of the table.

"Do you need any help?" That was good he was going to start slow then work up the courage to talk about their kiss. Or peck.

Sarah thought for a moment before deciding to let him join her that for which he was grateful for. He just wanted to be close to her.

"Alright so how do I go about doing this?" he said with his hands clasped on the table.

"Look at the post mark and put it in the pile that matches the date." She said placing a letter on a pile marked September 21st. Tom looked all around the table and found there were hot pink post-its marked with different dates with stacks of letters place just above them. He looked down at the bag sitting on the floor beside her which contained more letters.

"Why are there so many letters?" he asked

"I haven't been able to check the fan mail box in the last two weeks what with planning the party and…other such things." Tom noticed the cringe she gave as she said this. He had a feeling she was trying to avoid any subject that would lead to "the talk." He would find a way to talk to her about it. They needed to talk about it.

Tom took a hand full of mail and began to sort them out. Every once in a while Sarah would let a tune escape her lips, but nothing else was said between them.

After sorting out the fan mail Tom asked "why sort them out by date? There just going to get thrown together with the other mail?"

"Well for one you have to read all of these." Sarah waved her hands over the mail as if presenting it on a silver platter." And second you have to read ALL of these! Third wouldn't you rather read them in the order they came that way you can read them all and get pictures out to the people that sent there letters to you first."

Tom smirked and said "Alright I get it first come first serve. So I have to read all of these? Says who?"

"Come on Thomas we both know that your ego is so big that you can't deny yourself from reading about how much people love you." she leered.

"Well, I can't help it if people want to write good things about Me." he joked

Sarah began to retort but her voice was strained and she began to cough. It was a nasty cough coming from the back of her throat. The cough concerned him much. He got up from his chair and walked out of the dining room.

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><p>Once Sarah got her coughing under control she yelled "Thanks. It's not like I was choking or anything." She picked up a letter from the first pile that had little glitter hearts on it and began to read. The letter was from a sixteen year old girl professing her love for Tom and how she hoped that someday they would marry. Sarah smiled at the words she read on the letter thinking it was cute how girls took their imaginations to a whole different level even at such a young age. She remembered her celebrity crushes and how the posters on her wall would change from one teenage heartthrob to another in hopes that she too would marry them someday.<p>

Being the fast reader she was she had gone through six other letters by the time Tom had come back into the dining room. She was in mid letter when she heard him come through the swinging door carrying two coffee cups.

He held out one of the cups to her and she gladly took it. "Thanks" she said. Taking a sip from the cup she felt the walls of her windpipe relax. At least she was in a place where they always had tea. She put the cup down on the table and noticed Tom staring at her intently from the corner of her eye.

"These are some good reads." said Sarah holding up the little pile of open letters.

He took the letters from her hand and began to read them whilst Sarah began to read the other letters. The one she had picked up from the pile was thick with beautiful writing on the envelope. Sarah ripped the side of the envelope and dumped the contents onto the table. Photos dropped face down on the table along with the letter. Picking up the letter she began to read: this girl wrote that she had written to Tom to wish him a happy birthday and that she has watched all the Harry Potter films, read all the books, and went on to explain how Tom was the Draco she always imagined in her head and noted that she sleeps with her cardboard Draco every night and if he wanted demonstration of how she accomplishes this he should look at the photos she sent. Sarah looked at the face down photos wondering if she should flip them over, curiosity got the best of her and she flipped them over…

"Oh my god!" she said aloud slapping the picture face down on to the table. Sarah put her head down and began to laugh.

Sarah's sudden outburst startled Tom causing him to thrash the letters he was reading everywhere. He looked at Sarah as her shoulders shook concerned that she had gone mental on him.

"What is it?" he asked

She said nothing but kept laughing.

"Will you get a hold of yourself and tell me why you're laughing!" he asked a little perturbed at her sudden outburst.

With her head still down and hiding in the crook of her arm she took her other hand and with one finger expelled the pictures on the table toward Tom. Tom hesitantly picked up the pictures. When his eyes set on the offending photos he said "Oh wow." He was at a loss for words.

"I know right?" Sarah said through giggles.

As Tom quickly glanced at all three of the pictures he couldn't help but laugh too. What was thought to be a letter from a teenage girl turned out to be from a woman who looked to be in fifties that had sent pictures of herself doing provocative poses with a cardboard Draco. She was doing things he didn't know could be done with a piece of cardboard. He felt sorry for his stationary self.

"Well she's very talented." He said looking at the last picture. "See!"

Tom held the picture in front of Sarah's face which was very revealing.

"Gross Thomas!" she laughed and pushed his hand and the offending picture away from her sight."You know she kinda looks like Marla the waitress."

Tom observed the picture a little more as he compared faces with the waitress at the diner they went to the morning after his party and the picture in his hand. "I believe your right she does look like dear sweet Marla." He put the picture down and said "You have to admit that was a very bold move."

"Are you going to send her your own pictures? I'm sure she would like that." Sarah said with a sly smile.

"And have them all over the web. I don't think so." He laughed "I feel like I've been violated just by looking at those pictures.

Sarah grabbed the photos from his grasp and said "I'm going to go shred these while you continue to read. I'll also bring your stock photos and some envelopes.

"Don't forget markers!" he said as she walked out the door.

Once she stepped out of the dining room she made her way to his study which was just a spare room a little ways away from his game room (that was the condos actual office room). The room was small with mahogany furniture around the room. The room was so elegantly put together it looked way beyond Tom's taste. Even though she had only known Tom for mere few months she knew that he was more laid back than people assumed he was. He would rather just work at the dining room table than be stuck in a tiny furnished office. Tom told her that Jade had put it together a month after they had finished unpacking.

Sarah walked past the cherry wood desk accidently knocking over a picture frame set on the corner of the desk. She picked up the picture and noticed it was one of Tom and Jade. In the picture Tom and Jade appeared to be sleeping with Jade nuzzled up to the side of his face smiling. They truly looked like they were meant to be together. How could she mess with that? How could he ruin that happiness for himself?

Sarah flipped the picture back on its stand and picked stuck the pictures in the shredder. She felt a chill down her back sensing there was a pair of eyes on her. She simply turned and made contact with ocean blue eyes as her suspicions were confirmed it was him. Going back to the task at hand she began to dig through desk drawers when she said "Do you need something Thomas?"

The door creaked open and he stepped inside closing the door behind him. Sarah tried to remain calm but her breathing hitched a little.

"I think we should talk." He said.

Sarah could either walk out and say no or address the matter head on. She wasn't a coward so walking out was hardly an option. "Okay."

She set her stance behind the desk as he sat on a leather chair in front of the desk.

"I just want to start out by saying you really are a great friend. If I've complicated things for you in any way I'm sorry for that was not my true intent. The things I feel for you are a bit complex."

"Thomas, you're feelings are complex because you don't really know me. If you did, believe me you wouldn't doubt liking me more than a friend because you would see all the flaws I have."

"How would you know I wouldn't feel the same way about you? Everyone has flaws. Since day one I have had some kind of feelings toward you. There's something about you that lures me to you…

"There isn't. You're just looking for a little fun Thomas. You're bored of your relationship with Jade and you just want me to fill that void. " Sarah pulled out the rolling chair and sat down. She needed to convince him that she wasn't right for him.

Tom had thought that was true at some point he thought that maybe it was just a little crush but now he was sure that what he felt for her was true.

Tom swallowed hard and decided to come out with it. "Sarah…I'm…in…

"Please Thomas don't." Sarah stood from the chair almost knocking it over in her haste and made her way to the door. He was fast and caught her arm before she could set it on the knob. His loose grip let her pull her arm back.

"Why not? I want to tell you how I feel about you." He said taking a step closer to her only to have her take a step back. "I want to tell you how I think about you each day." Tom held her gaze waiting for her to respond when she didn't he continued to talk. "That kiss I gave you last week wasn't just a fluke I did it because I wanted to because in that moment I felt something for you. To this day I still have that same feeling for you. I want more than just a friendship with you."

Sarah didn't know what to say. Why did he have to tell her this? She tried to wrap her head around the words he was saying. She really didn't know how to respond to such claims. How could she tell him she harbored the same feelings for him? She couldn't and she wouldn't. Lying seemed like the answer.

"Tom, I don't see you that way." In an instant she saw the hurt in his eyes but she had to do it if she still wanted him in her life. She had to do it to keep him from making a big mistake.

Tom stepped towards her, she didn't move. He brought his hand up to her face and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. Her eyes focused on his, it felt as if he could see straight through her and he could. Three words told her so.

"That's a lie."

Sarah felt glued to the spot. Was he really going to try it again? Was she going to let him? Keeping a hold on her face he moved in close. He could smell the sweet scent of her body wash emitting from her supple skin.

The nearer he got the more she could feel his hot breathe roam over her chest. Her eyes came to a close and she waited for the anticipated kiss. The kiss that day at the fair wasn't going to compare to the one he was going to give her now she was sure of it. Both mouths were waiting for the interlock to happen only to find that they wouldn't be meeting this time.

Tom came to a halt as a bell rung throughout the penthouse and the sound of Jade telling him to open the door could be heard even through two closed doors. He rested his forehead on Sarah's with both eyes closed.

Sarah broke away from him and rushed out of the room and back into the dining room. Tom composed himself and went to open the door to let Jade in.

"It's about time." She said pushing him aside so she could come through the door. "What were you doing?"

"Sorry I was taking a nap." He could only hope he didn't look flushed.

Jade gave him a sensual kiss on the lips as did he. It had been a long week and he hadn't realized how much he missed her. As they ended their tongue tying kiss Sarah retreated from the dining room with her belongings in hand.

"Hello Jade." She said with a smile.

Jade set focus on Sarah with a look of surprise "Oh hi, what are you doing here?"

"I was just doing my job dropping off fan mail and such." Sarah said as if it was the most obvious thing for her to do in fact it was, everyday it was the same thing.

"oh right sorry I—"

"I was just leaving I'm not feeling too well." In all honesty Sarah wasn't feeling well at the moment, everything Tom had confided to her was sending a rush of blood to her head and she just needed to get away.

"That's too bad. Please take all the time you need. We won't need you for awhile." Said Jade with a lofty expression.

Sarah was slightly taken a back at Jades not so settle words but didn't let it show in her own facial expression. She could only wonder whither Jade knew about her and Toms mishap.

"Okay then I'll be going."Sarah made her way to the foyer and out the door. Sarah waited in the small lobby waiting for the elevator to come up to the top floor. When the sliding doors opened up to allow her admittance she felt a hand on her shoulder. Sarah turned to face the individual knowing full well who it was.

"Sarah please, you don't have to leave." said Tom.

"I kind of think I have to, I believe Jade wants your undivided attention, so you should probably go back in there."

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked

Sarah thought about it for a moment. Although she did want to see him, she really didn't want to talk anymore about what was and what wasn't going on between them. One perk was that she really wasn't feeling so wonderful at the moment so in all sincerity if she said no then she wouldn't have to feel bad about it. So she shrugged her shoulders and said "Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'm getting all this time off at the request of Jade. Frankly I'm not sure whose orders I follow, so I'm going to follow my own." Sarah pressed the down button again and waited for the doors to open again.

"Forget all that Jade said."

The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside and came to face Tom. "Tell me something Thomas that PDA you just had with Jade was that a lie?"

As the doors began to close he stopped them with both hands prying the doors open before they shut completely. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sarah sighed in frustration. Was it really that hard to understand what she meant? "I meant if you're affection is real with Jade then why would you want to give that up?"

Tom let his arms fall from the doors, letting them close and stared at the ground. He had thought about that and every time he did he would always come to the same answer. I don't know. Deep in his heart he did know but wasn't sure if he could face that one little fact. The fact being that he loved them both.

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><p>Check out a new story that I might continue "Off To The Races" and let me know what you think!<p>

Please read and review this chapter! Thanks!


	14. Hardcore Days Part 1

** I will hopefully have a new chapter up by friday...Hopefully but Please Read and Review!**

**Thanks Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14: Hardcore Days (Part 1)**

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><p>Jade stood in the flat waiting for Tom to come back. She was furious at how he just went out to talk to Sarah when she had been with him all day. Where was her time? To top it off she had the latest issue of NOW magazine burning at the bottom of her bag. She couldn't wait to show him what she had found. He lied to her but she lied to him as well when she told him she had stayed home on the night of his "outing" waiting for him. That was far from the truth and it turns out she wasn't the only one with lies.<p>

The truth was on the night she had gone out with Veronica; they had done more than drink and dance. They had also gone home with random guys they had met at the club that night. Jade had felt so horrible about it that she had stayed away from Tom trying to convince herself that she had no reason to cheat on such a loving man that would give her the world if he could. She had spent the past few days just thinking about what a horrid person she had become and what a sweet guy Tom was, but what she saw this morning only justified her actions.

On her way out to meet with Tom after about a week of not seeing him she was ecstatic to tell him about the charity event she would be hosting in Paris and that she would be leaving early Wednesday morning with her friends. She had hopes of him missing her the way she missed him that week but apparently he was too occupied with someone else to even give her a thought. After getting her morning coffee she spotted the magazine on the newsstand just outside the shop. Her eyes bugged out of her head and she dropped her coffee on the pavement in shock. She paid the man for the magazine got in her car and read every word over and over again. She was completely livid.

She was surprised she had even made it to the flat with how fast she was driving and that she was able to control her emotions in front of Sarah and Tom. Frankly if Sarah had been the one to answer the door she was sure she would have lost her cool in a moment but after that kiss Tom had given her letting her know that she was his she became calm. That is, until Sarah had walked into her line of sight and now here he was telling her to wait a moment while he tended to "Little Miss Carnival". The nerve of that git!

As Jade wore tracks into the living room rug from her pacing she came to a stop when she heard the front door close. Tom had a look of frustration on his face that was quickly wiped away when he looked up and saw Jade. But as soon as he caught eyes with her his radiant smile faded into a look of confusion. Jade rummaged through her handbag until she found what she was looking for she held it up to his face and yelled "What the hell is this?

There on the cover of the magazine was a picture of Tom and Sarah walking through the park fair just simply smiling at each. Although he could see how Jade had gotten the wrong idea about them- they did in fact look like a couple. Tom took the magazine from her hand and read the headline that read:

'_**TOM GETS COZY WITH MYSTERY GIRL AT LOCAL FUN FAIR! ARE TOM AND JADE OVER? WE GOT THE SCOOP! PICTURES INSIDE!'**_

Tom quickly perused through the gossip column carefully looking to see if they had captured their moment on the Ferris wheel which he was thankful they hadn't. All the pictures in the magazine were from hours before their kiss. He thought what a silly idea it was for him to think that there would be a picture when they were so high on the Ferris wheel that it would have been impossible for anyone to get a picture.

"Well do you have anything to say?" said Jade.

"What do you want me to say? You know Sarah and I are just friends nothing more." Tom threw the paper on the coffee table and tried to ease Jade's thoughts from thinking the worst. Putting his hand on her shoulder, she shrugged it away. He deserved that and so much more. She would blow her top if she had found out about that kiss as well as the almost kiss in his study.

"Tom you two shouldn't be friends! She works for you! You know how this bloody makes me look?"

"How does it make you look Jade? I'm the one that should be worried not you." He said trying to keep calm and not wanting to argue.

"Yes you should be but you're not are you?" said Jade grabbing her bag and swiftly putting on her shoulder ready to head out the door.

"What do mean by that? Just because I choose to ignore it you think I don't care?" he said.

"Is there something going on between you two?" She said as she came to face him. She could only hope that there was nothing going on but seeing those pictures made her jealous as hell. The pictures of Sarah and Tom playing games, and eating cotton candy, and walking together made her angry. She would love to do all those things with him so why didn't he take her with him?

"No." he partly lied. He wasn't sure if it was true or not when Sarah hadn't pursued him in any kind of way. Why should she be under fire when she had done nothing at all?

Jade searched his eyes for anything that would make her think otherwise. She scoffed when she found none; before she could turn away he grabbed her arm and pulled her to him holding her body against his. He gave her a kiss on her forehead that usually calmed her down when she got riled up. Her body slouched in his arms alerting him that she was composed.

She laid her head on his chest wondering if he was being truthful but how could she expect him to be truthful when she had not been truthful to him. Placing his index finger under her chin so that she would look at him he kissed her lips.

"Jade I love you. Please don't doubt that."

Pinching the bridge of her nose she let out a sigh and said "I lied."

"Lied about what?"

Avoiding his inquiring look she stared down at her pink pedicure toes (which she thought needed to be retouched before her trip) and said "I went out… that night you were with her. Just for… drinks and dancing. Veronica went with me."

Tom let out a small chuckle and said "It's ok we're adults. I'm not your mum you don't have to explain anything to me."

You wouldn't be saying that if you knew everything about that night she thought. Turning back to him her mind focused on the previous subject.

"I just want to know why you were with her. Why did you feel the need to lie to me?"

"Technically I didn't lie to you love, you asked me what I did that day not who I was with." He countered.

"Okay then why were you with her?"

Tom sat on the couch and pulled her over to sit on his lap.

"She was feeling down about being away from home so I just felt as a friend I would be there for her."

"Well you shouldn't have to be the one to do that." she said heatedly all serenity melting away at the thought of him comforting Sarah.

"Jade please calm down, you have to understand that she's here all alone with no one that she knows except you and I. We have each other but she has no one."

Jade took that into consideration. Yes indeed she was alone but Sarah shouldn't take away precious time that Tom could have with her. After all they were young and in love they were supposed to be together all the time. Whatever this friendship they had she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with it. Since Tom had established himself and Sarah as friends there was most definitely no way of firing her because when Tom became friends with someone they were in his life for good. If Sarah being alone was the only thing that stood in the way of Tom and Jade spending time together and having a happy ending then, Jade would come up with a solution to that problem. In fact it was at the tip of her tongue.

"We should fix her up with someone!"

"uh-fix her up? Fix who up?" Tom's stomach turned when she said her name.

"Sarah! Yes, I think I know the perfect man for her!" Jade got up quickly from his lap and went to get her Blackberry and sat down next to him.

"With who?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise! Just tell her that we're all going out Saturday night. She kissed him on the cheek and began to set up the date. There was no stopping Jade once she had an idea she would do everything in her power to get the ball rolling. Tom sat by and watched as she let a giggle out every now and then whilst texting whoever this mystery guy was.

"By the way I'll be going on a trip this week. The charity I'm involved in is going to Paris to help raise money for disabled children we're going to volunteer for a telethon! I'll have to look my best so tomorrow I'm going to have a hang with the girls. See me off tomorrow?"

"Sure love."

The whole day had gone by with him and Jade sitting on the couch talking and watching television. Under the façade he put on for Jade he could do nothing but grimace at the thought of Sarah going on a blind date with whoever it was.

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><p>The following morning Sarah woke with the worst feeling she had ever had in her whole entire life. Her body ached so badly at the joints it felt like she had been working out non-stop for an entire day. She was freezing cold as she desperately tried to bundle herself in the folds of her blanket. Her mouth was dry and her throat hurt too much to talk or even breathe as she took small breathes to avoid the hurt that caused her windpipe to extend more than she wanted it to. She had intended on going to work but it was just too much to handle with the way her body felt. In that moment the thought of dying didn't seem like such a bad thing…..<p>

….Why was it so cold? Hugging her body with the one blanket she had, she still couldn't get warm. Sarah was fortunate enough that sleep had lasted through the morning and that it was now noon. Her breathing had now become congested as her stuffy nose prevented her from breathing in air. There was a pounding in her head that she could not describe. Her brain throbbed, her body ached, she was cold, she couldn't breathe, she would say things couldn't get any worse but as soon as that thought crossed her mind there was a knock at the door. Sarah tried to groan into her pillow but her chords wouldn't allow it.

She lay on her bed with clattering teeth hoping the person on the other side of her front door would just go away. The knocking only got louder and faster. With all the strength she had she attempted to get up from the bed and into a sitting position. The pain she felt as the blood flooded throughout her body let out a small strangled whimper from her lips. Her body began to shake from the cold chill she felt and as quickly as her bones would allow her, she wrapped her blanket around her stiff carcass, stood and with the pace of a snail made her way to the door.

With the way things were going she figured it was Tom at the door. Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened the door mid knock. The last thing she saw was the look of alarm as she fell to the floor giving into the fatigue.

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><p>When she fell to the floor it caught him by surprise. Tom rushed to her and quickly caught her head before it hit the wood floor and gently laid it down. Her body was boiling as he placed his hand on her face to shake her awake. Her eyes opened a little letting him know that she was conscious. He closed the door and scooped Sarah up in his arms leaving the blanket in the little hallway and took her to her room. As he laid her the bed she began to shiver.<p>

"C-c-c-cold." Her voice sounded awfully hoarse. "Blanket."

She wanted to cry at the hurt it caused to talk because it sincerely felt like a mace was lodged deep in her throat and each time she talked its spiked metal head shredded her voice box to pieces.

"Okay sweetheart I'm getting it." Tom quickly walked to the door and picked up the blanket and returned to lay it on top of her feeble body. He again placed his hand on the side of her face and then on her forehead and felt the same scorching heat at his palm. "You're burning up."

Tom turned to go to the bathroom and get a wet wash cloth to cool her down when she grabbed his arm.

The way her body shivered under the queen sized blanket frightened him. Was she really that cold? Tom placed her arm under the blanket and kicked off his shoes.

"What are you d-doing?" she asked straining to keep her eyes open even though she so badly wanted to just go back to sleep. She may have been sick but she was still in her right frame of mind. Well sort of.

"Sarah you're shivering like mad. If you're cold I'm not going to let you freeze." He said as he took off his hoodie. His shirt clung to his jacket rising just to the middle of his lightly toned abs before he pulled it down. Was this heaven? A body like that could make any girl sick or healthy smile.

"It's okay." She said as she let out an uncontrollable shiver.

"Shhh no talking" he said as he put a finger to his lips. "You're voice sounds ghastly."

Tom cracked a smile to show that he was joking although her voice did sound really bad. With all the strength that she could muster up she narrowed her eyes at him. As much as she knew it was wrong for him to get into bed with her she didn't care, she was freezing! Any body heat that could be given with clothes on was better than nothing. Not wanting to argue the fact that he was getting into bed with her because all the ache and talking hurt way too much she let him lye next to her. When he got into the bed behind her, her body tensed as did his.

Climbing under the blanket, Tom wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her in close. His hand lay flat the skin of her midriff as her shirt raised a little from his movement. Her body tensed at the touch and so did he. Her body heat was sweltering even through her clothing which seemed to be a pair of shorts and a black tank top. The fact that he might get sick didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that she would get well.

Tom laid his head down on the pillow and waited for her to relax. His nose lay in her hair and he could smell the scent of raspberries. He was thankful to be laying behind her as a smile crept up on his face as he took in the scent.

In minutes she relaxed in his hold her breathing became slow but heavy. Her shivering stopped but she still clutched to the blanket for warmth. After another few minutes she turned herself over to face sudden movement surprised him as he thought she had woken up. She snuggled in close to his chest entwining her legs with his. The feel of her body next to his was something of great pleasure that he had dreamed of doing since that last time he held her in his kitchen. He had longed to be this close to her and even though the circumstances of how he came to be in this position were particularly odd he was glad he could hold her.

Tom brought his hand to her face and pushed back the strands of hair that were strewn across it. The beauty that lay behind those stands captivated him. The arch of her brow as she slept turned into a furrow as she dreamed. There was a small thin scare on the left side of her cheek that made him curious as to how it had gotten there. Tom's eyes memorized every feature of her countenance from the length of her eyelashes, down the slender of her cute nose, to her plush pink lips. How would he tell Jade that he was in love with someone else? How could he tell Sarah he was in love with her when she had convinced herself that she didn't like him in the way he liked her? He wanted her that much he was sure of.

Not giving it anymore thought, with his arms wrapped around Sarah he fell asleep feeling content that he would get to wake up next to her.

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><p>Sarah woke with an ailing in her stomach and feeling heat all over her body. She kicked off the covers and wiped the sweat off her brow. The room was dark and she was aware that she wasn't alone when a pair of arms scooped her in close to their body. She felt panic set in at the thought of who it was next to her. Out of assurance she looked down at her body and saw that she was still in her own clothes. Laying her head back on her pillow she felt the ache in her stomach and pressure in her throat.<p>

Quickly enough she removed his arms as fast as she could and ran straight into the bathroom and threw up into the toilet. After what seemed like an eternity she sat back against her bathtub trying to control the dry heaving. Breathing in air was torture as it felt like she was inhaling glass and it cutting her throat with each breathe she took. With a head of messy hair, Tom came in with a glass of water for her that she felt she couldn't keep down.

"Here drink this." He said trying to give the glass to her only to have his arm pushed away.

"You're body could be dehydrated. Have you eaten anything today?"

She gave a shake of her head. Tom observed her as she was sweating profusely.

"Sarah I'm taking you to a doctor."

She said nothing again but shook her head.

"This could be something serious. Please just let me take you to a doctor."

"No." she finally spoke as she breathed heavily.

"Sweetheart, please drink this."

"No hospital?" She asked as an exchange for drinking the water.

"Okay." He reluctantly agreed.

With a shaky hand she took the glass from him. She felt weak from all the vomiting and yet again wanted to go back to sleep. She placed the glass to her lips and took a drink only to put the cup down and retreat back to the toilet. If she wasn't so sick she would have felt embarrassed throwing up in front of Tom but with the way she was feeling now she didn't care. He apparently didn't care either because he pulled her hair back to keep it from falling into the toilet.

She fell against the tub again closing her eyes and taking in air once again. She hated being sick.

Tom came to sit next to her with a cold wash cloth in hand. He wiped her forehead, cheeks and her mouth gently. He went to get the glass of water to take it back into the kitchen but she stopped him. Feeling like she could no longer keep her head up, Sarah laid it on his shoulder.

For the longest time they said nothing. Tom didn't want her to talk if it hurt her too much so he just merely sat there listening to her inhale and exhale. Her congested breathing unsettled him. As much as he wanted to take her to a hospital he knew she would refuse and continually fight him on it.

Sarah took the glass of water and took small sips letting the water flow down her dry gullet. After minutes of sipping she was finished with the glass and placed it next to her on the floor.

"You should go home." She croaked.

"I'm not leaving."

"Ple-please go. You'll get sick too."

"Sarah, you're really sick I'm not daft enough to leave you here when you're in this condition."

"I can handle-"

"No you can't you can barely drink a glass of water and my guess is you can't even get up on your own."

This was turning into an argument he didn't want to have with her. He was going to stay with her until she got better and that was final.

"Fine." she said weakly giving into sleep once again.

* * *

><p>When sleep over took her he yet again scooped her up and laid her on the bed. He felt that now that her chills were gone he wouldn't lay with her. Tom pulled the blanket up bedside her on the bed in case she got cold and walked into the living room. Taking a glance at the clock on the bookshelf he saw that it was now 8PM. He sat down on the sectional and thought about the condition she was in.<p>

It was hard to see her look so frail when he had only ever seen her in good health and spirits. The fact that she tried to wane him away only made him want to be with her even more. She needed him as much as she didn't want to admit it he knew she needed him to be there with her.

Since Jade would be out of town he would stay with Sarah until she felt better than she did now. Then when she did feel better he would tell her about the impending blind date Jade had set up.

Jade.

What was he going to do about her? Every time he was with Sarah it seemed his feelings for her would grow more and more. And with each growth went the love he had for Jade. It wasn't a lot that would be taken away but he felt little by little they were falling away from each other. Her definite flaws showed with each word she spoke nowadays. The things she would tell him about her nights out with Veronica always seemed to flow in one ear and out the other but that particular night she went out she seemed different. The details of her night were pretty vague than usual, like she was grazing over major details of that night. Why else would he have not seen her in a week?

Tom knew that his love for Jade wouldn't just fade away in the blink of an eye they had a history. Four years in fact. Since he couldn't see her at work anymore given that filming had stopped for over a year she wanted all his attention. How was he supposed to give her the attention she wanted if she was leaving all the time? Yes he had to leave the country every now and again but she always came with him. How was that not spending time with each other? Each time they came back she would go back to complaining about how they were never together. Tom had all the time in the world for her but she refused to see that.

On good days she could perpetually love him and he her. Those were the days they could spend hours in bed talking about their future. They would talk about where they were headed in their lives and how both were destined to be together. If they were to have a moment like that now who knows what they would talk about or if they would even talk at all. All he knew was that even if he weren't in love with her he would do anything for her.

Love was a complicated emotion. He had these two women in his life that were complete opposites one he was falling in love with and one he was sure he may or may be falling out of love with.

Tom laid his head back on the couch and let out a frustrated breathe of air. When did his life become so complicated? As Tom stared at the blank T.V. screen he caught sight of an envelope on the coffee table. Was it the same one he had seen last week? Reaching forward he picked up the letter and saw it was addressed to Sarah. The sender labeled their name as J. Emerson.

He knew it was wrong to read the letter but he wanted to know why she was so upset that day he had taken her to the fair. He needed some insight on her life. He took out the letter from the slit Sarah had made on the side of the envelope and quickly began to read.

_Sarah,_

_How are you? Good I hope. I know it has been awhile since we've been in contact but I just want to let you know that I will always love you. I know you had your reasons for leaving but did you have to move so far? I'm so worried about you. I can't believe you moved to London and didn't tell anyone! This whole time I thought you were in California. Six months of no contact and you finally let me know of your whereabouts! I would expect something like that from Eli but not you!_

_I shouldn't waste time getting angry at you in a letter so I'm going to say I'm glad you have decided to write to me although a phone call would have sufficed. _

_I know this is not the right way to send you the news but seeing as this is the only means of getting news to you I will write it down. Honey I'm sorry to tell you this but Mrs. Johnson informed me that Jess married Annabelle last week. They are expecting their first child this Christmas. I know that it's only been a few months since you last saw him but please don't let this ruin you. _

_Please come home for the holidays. I don't know if that new job of yours is keeping you busy during that time but please come home. We all miss you very much. I miss my baby girl. _

_Love Mom._

Tom read the letter twice before placing it back in the envelope. He was filled with questions. How could she just keep this to herself? How could she keep all of her emotions bottled up? Why hadn't she contacted her mother in so long? Those questions would have to wait to be answered he wasn't going to drill her with questions about her past while she was sick unless she brought it up first.

Placing the letter back on the coffee table he got up and went to check on Sarah. She had tugged the blanket up to her waist and was soundly sleeping on her side. Tom got to his knees on the side she was facing and caressed her face gently so that he wouldn't wake her. Without hesitation he planted a kiss on her forehead. Lying down on the floor he stared at her for a moment before falling asleep to the sound of her shallow breathing.

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><p><strong>Thanks for Reading. I know its not much of a chapter but I still hope you liked it.!<strong>


	15. Softcore Nights Part 2

**Hello all it has been a long while since my last update and I am sorry to have kept you waiting but here is Chapter 15 hope you all enjoy! Leave a review and let me know how I'm doing on this story good, bad, it would be much appreciated. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 15: Softcore Nights- Part 2<strong>

The sleep that came after such a grueling night felt good, aside from her sore throat and the warmth of her skin it was what she needed. Sarah rolled on to her belly moving her arms under her pillow, her head felt like it didn't hurt as bad as before so she decided on taking a chance at opening her eyes. Expecting to see the sun shining through her french doors she only saw pitch black. There was darkness all around the room except for the light that was closest to her line of sight. Rubbing at her eyes she let her vision slowly adjust to the neon blue glow of the clock on her night stand that read 12AM.

Sarah closed her eyes trying to recall the hours before. She knew she had woken up several times throughout the day and each time that she did (from what she could remember) things were different each time. From the feeling of wanting to die to the vomiting, she remembered that he was there. She slowly sat up wondering if he had left like she had told him too. From what she could make out as her eyes adjusted to the light her bedroom door was closed, and no glow of light came from underneath to indicate that someone was in the other room. Sarah turned on her bed side lamp and that was when she saw him. He lay on the floor right next to her side of the bed in a fetal position with his neatly folded jacket placed under his head. Sarah hung over the side of the bed and took in the sight of him. She couldn't believe he had stayed.

Studying his flawless features the sudden urge to touch him made her fingers tremble at the tips. His porcelain skin set off a glow inside her that spread through her body making her skin hotter than it was. Sarah couldn't help but let a small smile form on her face as she looked at the man lying on her floor. He had stayed when she told him to go. What did that mean? If she really didn't want him to stay why didn't she fight more to make him leave? Sarah didn't know what to think if anything she would blame her sudden sickness for messing with all logical thoughts.

Feeling like she could move on her own she stood over Tom and laid the blanket on top of him just like he had done with her. She had a small headache and her throat was sore but it was nothing compared to the way she felt earlier. She could only hope that the worst was over. Going over her symptoms it vaguely reminded her of when she had tonsillitis but combined with the vomiting, headache, and frail limbs it was probably the flu, it was probably best that she didn't touch him. Moving quietly so as to not wake Tom, she went into the kitchen and got a glass of water.

The touch of water eased her cotton mouth to moistness hydrating her body with the much needed fluid. After slowly downing several glasses of water she decided on taking a shower to ease her tired shower did a lot of good in easing her limbs as well as clearing her sinuses except now she was dealing with the sniffles on top of her other symptoms, although, she thought it was a small price to pay for such a relaxing shower. Sarah put on comfy clothes that consisted of a pair of shorts, her favorite t-shirt and black plush socks to keep her feet warm.

When she came out of the bathroom Tom was sitting on the bed facing the bathroom door. He gave her the cutest smile as he tousled his already messy hair from one side to the other. Sarah gave a hesitant smile to him as she wasn't expecting him to be awake just yet. Putting her clothes in the laundry basket she took a jacket from her closet to cover up with (the chills were returning again) and sat next to Tom on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked

Not knowing how her voice would sound she just shrugged her shoulders not really sure if she was feeling better. The chills lingered a little and her nose wasn't as stuffy so that was good. She could only guess that she felt better. The silence carried on for a little longer than it should have. Sarah stared down at her feet dangling a foot above the floor, cursing herself for wearing her black fluffy socks which were embroidered with little fat penguins. No matter how much she tried to ignore it she could feel his unrelenting stare on her.

* * *

><p>When she entered the shower he stayed on the floor for a good fifteen minutes before he managed to get up and shake the kinks out of his body. The steam seeping from under the door clouded his senses with the smell of her soap. A sweet fruity scent filled the room and the only thing Tom could think about was her. Was it the scent of her shampoo or her body wash? What curves were hidden by the foggy glass doors that she stood behind. Throwing his head back he closed his eyes willing away the thoughts that would now be constantly on his sat on the bed and waited for her shower to end just staring at the bathroom door. The moment before he had woken up he felt her gaze over him, he could only wonder what she had been thinking in those moments her eyes fell over him. At one point he thought he felt something faint linger over his face but could only imagine what it could have been. Was it an unsure hand that hung in the air with the intent to touch? Whatever it might have been he only wished she hadn't backed out.<p>

The bathroom door opened and there she was, her long dark hair gathered and hung on one side of her shoulder dripping with drops of scented water, her peaked complection now had a little tint of color, the dark circles that surrounded her eyes were now lightened and he assumed she was feeling better than she was before. She looked so beautiful in just her comfy clothes and fluffy would have never known that just hours ago she had been sitting on her bathroom floor gasping for air. She was truly a vision of beauty, the sight of her sent rapid beats to his heart and a breath caught in his throat. Unable to say a word to her he decided on smiling, getting one in return. Another tug came when she sat right next to him.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked

She gave a shrug of her shoulders. He wasn't sure what to say to that so he watched her as she looked down at her feet. Thinking back to the letter he could only wonder how someone with so much beauty inside and out could just keep her emotion bottled up. He could only think that that was just the kind of person she was. She was the type of person that would put other people before herself. Sarah was more caring and loving than anyone he had ever known and only wanted to be in everyone's good graces. She had principles to live up to, maybe that was why she wouldn't admit she felt the slightest bit of liking towards him. He wanted to change that. He would make everything about her.

"Thank You" she said in almost a whisper. "For staying with me…"

"I didn't mind." Tom took her hand in his and held it.

He was surprised when she didn't take it back. Tom observed her hand as he held it with ease; it was very feminine and soft and as silk, the palm of her hand fit perfectly against his and the wrap of her slender fingers were cool to the touch as they lay on the back of his hand. He observed her neatly trimmed nails and the tiny birthmark placed in the side of her index finger. Removing her hand from the entanglement of fingers he traced a faint line of veins from the back of her hand to her wrist. When his finger settled on her pulse point he felt how fast her heart was pumping. He knew what he was doing to her and he was glad that he did, it gave him hope that maybe she felt the same way that he did. Tom slowly brought his lips down to her wrist planting a feather light kiss over her vein and placed her hand back down beside her.

It was an intimate gesture but nothing too radical. He did what he felt like doing in the moment. If she had him leave he would but he would regret nothing. Tom turned his head and saw Sarah brushing light fingers over the spot of her wrist he had just kissed as she gnawed on her bottom lip contemplating a thought. They sat in silence once more neither of them speaking.

"Shouldn't you be with Jade?" she asked in the same whisper as before.

"Yes."

Sarah didn't know what to think about what he had just done. The way he held her hand as if it was a delicate piece of art made blood rush through her veins. That divine touch reached the depths of her being and she shivered. She was sure that he had noticed and that fact that he did made her feel lighter than air, until, she decided she shouldnt be aloud to feel such a way. It was midnight and here she was letting someone else's love kiss her wrist. She knew she was being a hypocrite. Just because someone did it to her didn't mean she had to be a harlot. Nope no matter how much she liked it, it wouldn't be enough for her to reconsider the we're "just friends and that's all I want to be" bit.

Tom could only wonder what was going on inside that head of hers. She was probably trying to figure out ways to tell him that she only wanted to be friends with him. As she stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom he couldnt help but scrutinize her retreating form from where he sat. He watched as she combed through her wet hair but it wasn't for long, she caught sight of him staring and closed the door.

After minutes she finally came out from the bathroom with her hair in a loose bun.

"I'm hungry." She stated before leaving the room and going into the kitchen. The sudden change in her attitude from thoughtful to happy confused him but he got up anyway to follow her to the kitchen.

"What would you like?" He asked

"I don't think I've ever seen you cook." She said turning to face him."Can you cook?"

"I can make a mean stack of pancakes …and toast." He said proud of the fact that he knew how to cook something.

After some much diliberation Sarah left Tom in the kitchen to work his magic while she grabbed a cup of orange juice and sat on the couch. In minutes the smell of pancakes filled the flat, the aroma sent a knowing hunger to Sarah's belly making it twinge with the urge to have food placed inside. It had been a full day since she had eaten and she was starved.

Tom placed a plate of pancakes on the breakfast bar, along with syrup and butter, as Sarah climbed up on the bar stool. He had decided to make her pancakes first and then some for himself this was his first attempt at putting her first and it was going well. Putting the batter in the pan he turned to face Sarah as she was placing a light amount of butter and syrup on her pancakes making sure that each cake got the same amount as the other. When she got to the top she let the syrup fall from the bottle down to the middle, letting the sweet, sticky amber flow down the sides like a waterfall.

"Save some for the rest of us." He laughed before turning to flip his pancake over.

"Ha…Ha" she said placing the bottle down and giving him a scathing look. She picked up her fork and took a bite. The taste was utter bliss. Never in her life had she taste such good pancakes. She was surprised she could taste anything at all but was grateful that she could or else she would have been really missing out on something.

Sarah kept an eye on Tom while she ate. His mannerisms were something to watch, the way he moved from cabinet to cabinet putting ingredients away like he had been living there for sometime made her stop mid bite. For those few moments she had wished that it was real. She wished that all the complications that stood in the way would be gone and they could live like this just her, him and their pancakes. The thought of this made her choke and she began to cough. She jumped off the stool and rushed into the bathroom. Tom stopped washing the cutlery and followed her to the bathroom. With his hand on the knob he tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Sarah?" he said into the door "Are you okay love?"

On the other side of the door Sarah sat in her bathtub trying to catch her breath. The minor panic attack took her by surprised, her breathing was coming in short, she tried to focus on slowing it down and taking deeper breaths. Having him call her love didn't help at all.

"Sarah please let me in."

Hugging her legs to her body she rocked back and forth with the stinging of tears at the corner of her eyes. Why was he here? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? If things were kept professional they wouldn't be here right now…he wouldn't be here. If he weren't here she wouldn't have realized the budding feelings she had for him had turned into something she really wanted.

"Open the door." said Tom as he slid down the door and onto the floor. He didn't know what had come over her but he hoped that she was alright. He hoped it wasn't the pancakes.

The grumble in Sarah's stomach let her know that what she ate wasn't enough. Being locked in the bathroom and sitting in an empty tub wouldn't bring her food. For her, no matter what kind of scenario she was in her stomach overruled every emotion she ever felt. How would she get her food without him invading her space? She was comfortable just sitting in the garden tub.

Getting up from the empty tub Sarah made her way to the door and opened it. Before she could step out there he was with one plate of half eaten pancakes in one hand and a full plate of pancakes in the other. Rolling her eyes she quickly took the plate in hopes that she could shut the door quickly enough so that he couldn't get in. She had again underestimated his fast reflexes as he wedged his foot between the door and frame. Sarah reluctantly let go of the door and went back to sit in the bathtub with her pancakes in hand and Tom following closely.

Tom sat on the floor with his back against the tub not facing Sarah. He wasn't sure what to do. If she wanted to talk she would. He wouldn't press her to tell him what had just happened he would just sit, eat his pancakes, and wait for her to speak. Even though he would wait for her, the sudden outburst undoubtedly left him reeling.

"This is kind of gross." She said through the soreness of her throat. When she said nothing else Tom narrowed his eyes at her for a moment. Thinking he thought she meant the pancakes she then said "I mean eating in the bathroom."

"Why are we eating in the bathroom?" he said turning back to his food and taking a bite.

"I'm comfortable." Sarah leaned out of the tub and put her plate (which was free of all syrup) on to the floor. She leaned back in the tub with her arms outstretched on each side and closed her eyes trying to free her mind of all thoughts but it was impossible. It seemed that everything they did was natural, the comfortable silence, making pancakes, eating in the bathroom. All of it just seemed like a natural thing for them to do. Was it only something familiar to them because they had been around each other so long that their movements seemed to flow with one another?

"What are we doing" she asked herself but had been heard by the spectacle sitting away from her.

"What?"

He had heard so she thought she might as well ask him. "What are we doing Thomas?"

"Eating pancakes in the bathroom." He said with a straight face as he turned to face her. Turning back he thought about the question, in all seriousness he knew what she meant when she asked. It was a question that would lead to a slew of other questions. He would answer any question she asked but the truth was he didn't know how to answer this one. What were they doing? He had come over the other afternoon to tell her that she had a date with some wanker set up by Jade only to have spent the night sleeping next to her and tending to her every need even though she had never asked him to help her.

"If only it were that simple…." She said letting out a sigh.

"What do want me to say? I can't help it if I have feelings for you!" Tom said suddenly feeling a bit angry. Why wouldn't she just accept it?

Sarah scoffed at his words and sat up from her comfortable position ready to voice her theory yet again. She had to get it through to him that it wasn't going to happen. It couldn't.

"You only think you feel something for me but I know how guys think. You think because you're not getting what you want from your own girlfriend you can get it from someone else. Tell me Thomas what's the first thing you notice about me when you see me walk through the door? Is it the size of my tits or my ass? What is it? You certainly don't know a thing about me! So it has to be one or the other! Or is it both?"

Tom listened to her rant and could only wonder why she would think he only noticed her body when that wasn't the case at all. Her personality was everything he had rarely seen in a person, it was witty, confidant, intelligent, caring, funny…most of all- loving. She was gorgeous but that was just a plus. Out of all the time he had spent talking to her for hours how could she think that he knew nothing about her? Maybe that was true but it was irrelevant. He would see past anything she had to tell him and wouldn't judge her. Nobody was perfect.

"Do you honestly think that low of me? Do you think that the first thing I thought when I saw you was 'oh it would nice to have a good bang with her without my girlfriend knowing'. I didn't plan on feeling the way I do about you it just happened. I know you feel the same way too even if you do deny it."

"That's bullshit because you know as well as I know that if something were to happen between us I would be the bad guy and you'd play victim. I know better than to do that to Jade. You should too. So please just stop lying to yourself about liking me!"

Tom had had it with her self-rightousness. "Im a liar Sarah? What about you? You've been lying to me as well.

Sarah folded her arms on her chest and said "Oh yeah how the hell did I lie to you?"

"I read your letter! You know what you should probably learn to stop running away from your problems and start facing them. Maybe if you hadn't lied I wouldn't have had to take you to the fair, I wouldn't have tried to kiss you and there wouldn't be all this tension between us!" he shouted

Through his rage he failed to notice that Sarah was now standing in front of him with a look set to kill. Tom had only seen that look from her months ago when she had told him not to touch her cinnamon roll she had put in the fridge for later. He didn't listen then so he knew what was coming now. Just as fast as he remembered, her open hand swung back and collided with his face. Sarah stormed out of the bathroom just as his cell began to ring. Tom pressed his hand to his cheek to ease the sting as he used the other to dig the phone from his pocket.

Not bothering to see who was calling he answered it.

"Hello"

"Good Morning my love."

It was Jade.

"Uh Good Morning" he said as he tried to sound nonchalant. "I didn't miss your flight did I?"

"No.I was actually just calling to see if you were going to make it out to the airport? Remember you promised."

"Of course." He said "If I promised you then I'm going to be there." Tom walked out of the bathroom and noticed the time on the clock it was nearly three in the morning. Even through all the sleep he had he felt like he hadn't had enough.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted."

"No. I mean I'm fine…I'm just trying to wake up is all but don't worry I'll be at the airport." Grabbing his jacket from the floor he slipped it on and walked out of the bedroom.

There was silence on the other line for a moment before she spoke again.

"Okay…I love you

As he crossed the threshold, he saw a Sarah lying on the couch hugging a pillow to her chest. He didn't bother to go any closer but just stood there. He had invaded her privacy and used it against her. He had hurt her by more or less saying he regretted being with her that day in the park. He was such a cad.

"Tom?" Jade said bringing his attention back to her.

"Sorry." He said keeping his eyes on Sarah as if she were to disappear inside the monstrous couch she was lying on. "I love you too. See you at the airport."

* * *

><p><strong>*<span>Conversing In the Air*<span>**

The airport was crowded this early in the morning. Many people were cheery and excited to be going on holiday or sadden by the thought of going home. Then there were the others waiting impatiently to greet family or friends they hadn't seen in months or years. It was all nice but she could care less about whom or what they were waiting for what mattered to her was that he would make it. He would come see her off tell her that he would miss her and then kiss her passionately in a way that would urge her to hurry and come home so she could be in his arms once more. Not a damn thing went as she pictured.

Tom arrived only 15 minutes before Jade had to board her plane and he looked conspicuously caught up in his thoughts. The kiss he had given her was lacking the passion she had fantasized about. It was eager but unconvincing. He was there, he had made it in time to see her off, so what was it that made Jade's thoughts think of the worst.

Maybe it was the way she had mentioned there double date over the weekend or the way she had noticed his eyes go dense when Veronica had asked why his indolent assistant hadn't gotten him up early enough to say goodbye to Jade. She just couldn't pin point it to one thing.

An hour later sitting in first class on a plane to Paris she was looking out the window sifting through clouds trying to see the land below but it was no good. Jade craved attention from Tom since day one and now that all his attention had been preoccupied by someone else she didn't know what to do. She had done her best to make sure that there was no way for them to interact by telling Sarah that they would call her when they needed her but was that going to stop Tom from seeing her? Jade let out a big sigh as she knew it was useless to get overworked about a situation she couldn't do anything about miles away from home. She would just have to wait and see if anything would progress with the date she had set Sarah up with.

"Are you still thinking about Tom and that twat?" asked Veronica skimming pictures in a gossip magazine.

"What would you expect me to do? He's there with her and I'm on my way to do some charity 're hundreds of miles apart from each other I can only hope that he's being faithful."

"Jade, Tom is crazy about you and even if he was cheating on you believe me he'll realize his mistake and come crawling back to you when he realizes that slag assistant has nothing to offer him in the long run."

"I would rather not have him touch her Verde!" Jade shouted so loud that many of the other passengers stopped and looked her way. The thought of him and her touching and caressing each other made her jealous with rage.

"Jeez, Jade calm down no need to shout." Veronica put the magazine under her seat and turned her body fully to Jade. "Now we just need to think of something to do with her. You hired her so why can't you just fire her?

"I can't do that now. Their too close. Tom called her his friend and now I can't do anything about it without Tom thinking that I'm jealous."

"Well aren't you?"

NO!" again an onset of eyes looked in their direction. Lowering her voice to a whisper Jade continued "I don't get jealous that bitch will never be good enough for him I only have his best interest in mind and I-AM- that best interest. Tom is just blinded at the moment but he will see that I'm the one for him. That I've always been the one for him."

Okay Jade well whats your plan? You obviously have one if your thinking he's just gonna drop her in an instant."

"I won't know that its full proof until I get back on Saturday. I set her up on a date with someone that both Tom and I know…"Jade stopped mid sentence going over what she hoped would be a good way for Sarah to find someone else to take pity from instead of Tom but stopped in her thoughts not wanting to jinx the so called plan she had.

And?" asked Veronica athirst to hear more.

"I don't think i'll spill anymore details." Jade gave a sigh and turned to look out the small window."I just hope that whatever this phase he is going through will come to an end soon."

* * *

><p>Everything was messed up. Everything was such a jumbled mess that he wasn't sure what to do. Jades distraught features were all he could see when she boarded the plane. He tried to focus on her and give all he had into his kisses but he knew they weren't enough. He couldn't help but think of Sarah and how he had hurt her with the asperity of his not only did he hurt one person but Jade as well with his urge to fixate on Sarah.<p>

Tom needed someone to tell the situation to someone and the only person he could do that to lived an hour outside london. It was early in the morning but he didnt care his wingman surely wouldnt mind a nice wake up call from him.

Outside london in the courtyside of Surrey Tom drove to his family home to see his brother Chris. He needed advice on how to deal with his current situation. After giving his brother a nasty wake up call they sat out on the balcony looking out at the green countryside. Tom went over the details of the last few months from when he first met Sarah to the departure of Jade that morning.

Chris listened with little interruption with only the occasional nod of the head while he sipped his coffee. After Tom had finished with his tale of the past few months he hoped his brother understood his predicament and would be able to help him figure out what he needed to do.

"I'm falling hard for her and I dont know what the fuck to do" said Tom running his hands through his hair.

"You got yourself in quite a tiff don't you little brother?" Chris stood from the wicker chair and stretched his tired limbs. "When you're with the other girl do you feel like it's just a shag you want from her?

"No differently not...I mean of course I think of her that way she's gorgeous, but aside from that it was her personality that lured me in. She has the ability to be sweet one minute and the next she could be telling me off." Tom couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he described Sarah because that was who she was." Sarah's one of a kind, she knows her music, put's others first and definitley has a healthy appetite. She's the real deal"

Chris watched his brothers features turn into a dream like state as he described the girl that caught his fancy. He had never seen his brother in such a trance.

"What about Jade?"

"Come on you know Jade she's the complete polar opposite. She can be charming and attentive but there's always some kind of price to pay. Whether it's with a new pair of shoes or something else it's never just of her own free will to be endearing to others."

"I don't see the problem, you know what you want so what's the big deal dump the bloody bint and go for the "real deal" as you put it."

"It may seem that easy but its not, Sarah's so considerate of others that she convinced herself she doesnt feel the same way just to save my relationship with Jade. On top of that Jade fixed her up on a blind date so how am I supposed to figure that out?"

Tom threw his hands in the air and let out a sigh of defeat.

"It is rather complicated isn't it little brother? You're in love with two girls and it isnt easy but you need to consider whether this thing you feel for the other girl is really love or pure lust. You know for sure that you love Jade, so why make things even more complicated by trying to get someone else to feel the same way about you? Knowing you I can see that your not too eager on giving up so just give it some time the other girl will come around" he said as he patted his brother on the back to ease his thoughts only to add "Just pray that she doesn't fall for this mystery prat or things are bound to get more bloody complicated than they already are."

He hadn't thought about that last bit.

* * *

><p>Tom could no longer hold off going back to her flat. After spending half the day in Surrey getting some much needed sleep he decided it was now time to go back to London. After saying his goodbyes and making a promise to visit during reasonable hours he took the time he had to drive back to think about what he was going to say to Sarah. By the time he had reached her door step he had played ever scenerio that could happen in his head from another slap to the face to her not answering the door at all. Tom stood in front of her door wondering how he had got this far. So far that he would do anything to make up for his foolish words.<p>

Caught up in his thoughts he barely noticed the loud music emitting from the door. Tom didn't bother knocking on the door but placed a shakey hand on the cold handle and let himself in. The music was loud and so was she. Her voice broke with every word she tried to sing like a fourteen year old boy going through puberty. Tom stood at the end of the hallway that led out into the kitchen/dining area and watched as she flailed her hair from side to side every once in a while she would snap her fingers with the music while her other hand was holding a bottle of straight vodka. As he noticed this she noticed him. Expecting to be slapped into oblivion she came up and embraced him in a bear hug the best she could in her inebriated state.

"Hi Thomas!" she said making her voice reach a high pitch.

"Hello love, uh, how did you get this bottle thats so evidently glued to your hand?" He asked as he tried to take the bottle from her hand but it was no use.

"I believe I walked down to the...store corner?...corn-errrrrrr store? That store that's on the corner!" Sarah pointed and walked to the nearest corner in the room practically stumbling on the way over. Tom walked close to her helping her keep her balance. "Over at the store I bought this." She shook the half empty bottle in the air before taking another swig.

There was a moment of silence as the song ended but then picked up when it played a different song. Sarah jumped away from Tom giving a wild smile and began to dance to the song. She jumped around swinging her arms in every direction spilling her drink on the floor.

"I love this song!"

"It's a good song" said Tom "Im just going to turn it down a little bit"

Tom walked over to the book shelf and pressed pause. When he turned around she was did she go he asked himself. In that moment he heard a small groan making his way past the couch and into the bedroom he couldnt find her. It was when he walked into the living room he caught a glimpse of her sock covered foot upright on the kitchen floor. He rushed over to Sarah as she laid on the glossy wood floor.

"Sarah? Sarah? Are you okay?"

"yeah..." she said groggily. "I slipped" Sarah tired to get up but he kept her still.

"Just lay here for a moment"

"you know that really is a good song, You cant always have the things you want. If you do get what you want its not always good for you. You never know other things might get in the way. You can plan everything to a T and it could still get ruined."

"You know from experience?" he said with an arched brow

"Unfortunately."

* * *

><p>Sarah closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. The stroke of his hand in her hair was soothing to her it was time to talk but she wouldn't tell him everything. "Sorry I kind of slapped you in the face."<p>

I think i deserved it." he snickered

"yes..yes you did." Leaving the comfort of his hold Sarah sat up against the kitchen cabinets still with her eyes closed. She refused to look at him. Sarah couldn't avoid it any longer she couldnt just leave him wondering now that he had read the letter.

"I'm so tired." she said slightly slurring her words." I think you should go get me that bottle." Sarah pointed at the bottle of vodka on the counter. Of course she thought to herself save the bottle and not yourself. She knew she had drank just a little too much but that was the only she could get through her little story without sobbing or so she thought.

With the slurring of her words Tom had apparently thought she had had enough too. He had poured a small amount in a glass, handed it to her and put the bottle away. The silence that fell could be cut with a knife she had much too say but was in fear that he might think she was just another fucked up soul, she had no doubt in her mind that she was. Sarah took a sip from her glass and let the burning sensation flow down her already tattered and torn throat.

"Its not a complicated story...it's simple."

Tom kept his eyes on her and taking in the state she was in. Sarah sat in the corner of the kitchen across from him. Her eyes, although she wasn't looking at him, were glossy and far away as if she were recalling a memory. No matter how many times she would say it was simple he knew that it wasn't.

"I was with Jess for far too long" she scoffed " I thought he loved me."

"Sarah you don't have to tell me." Tom tried to reason.

"No, no no no." Sarah shook her head and place a lazy finger to her lips to show silence. "You're my, friend, we have to tell stuff. Right?" Her eyes closed and silence swept over once again and for a moment he thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke again. "I remember that day when he left...I played it off like I didn't care but I did. I'm good at that playing things off...my emotions. I should win an award for most fake emotion person...He left me to be with my so called friend.

Tom saw the meloncholy that swept over her features as she recalled the memories of her past relationship. She was hurt and he could only place blame on himself for her to relive the past that was unkind to her. He should have kept his mouth shut about the letter.

" I did everything for him and took alot of shit from him. He was such a complete jerk I was there for him when things weren't their best and was he there for me? oh yeah he was there he was there to tell me that everything I did for him was wrong, he was there to tell me he didnt care. I stayed with him because I was alone and he was there. He was convienent for me. Well you know what that bastard can have a good life he can marry her, have a family with her, and forget about me he can pretend like six years was nothing!

Sarah was unaware of the tears that were streaming from her eyes leaving little trails of hurt. The pain and sorrow she had been holding in finally came out but it was directed at the wrong person. Although she knew that everything she said had nothing to do with Tom she could only think of how awkward it was going to be when she returned to work.

'You can leave now." she said before getting up from the kitchen floor.

Once she had got to her feet the swaying of her body started a chain reaction of things she would wish were never said. The first step she took made her grapple on to Tom. The eyes that met her's were of genuine concern for her and that only made her swoon.

"You're eyes are pretty, such a suitable shade of blue...except when you're mad which is rare." she said just inches away from his face.

"What suitable color are they when I'm mad?" He asked with all seriousness.

"A-bathroom!" She said before covering her mouth. Sarah couldn't be more embarrassed than she was at that point. The poor guy had seen her throw up so many times in the past day than anyone else in her whole life,well, except maybe her mother. She missed her mother. When her stomach had emptied much of the alcohol from her stomach she felt much better...but still drunk enough to ask one damning question.

" When your with Jade, do you think about me?"

"I...

"Wait dont answer that!"

"Yes".

The answer she had hoped for was no. She had hoped that he didn't think about her at all. For her to say that she thought about him on a daily basis would be wrong but that was just how she felt. That didn't matter. What mattered to her most at that point was that he would leave. She told him what she could, he answered her question, and now she just wanted him to leave.

* * *

><p><strong>Thats the end of the chapter thanks for reading. I know its running slow but it will pick up in the next chapter hopefully the wait for that one won't be as long as this one. Leave a review! :)<strong>


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